Cibrarjp  oftU  theological  ^eminar;^ 

PRINCETON    .    NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

A.    G.    Cameron,    Ph^D, 
5.18.11 


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Vo\.    7- 


» 

THOUGHTS 


/J^tr 


ON  THE  SYSTEII  OP 


pluiif  ilrpii^atwi^, 


SUITED  TO   THE 


KINGDOM   OF  CHRIST 


BY 


s/ 


WILLIAM   CROWELL 


NEW  YORK : 
PRINTED  BY  EDWARD  0.  JENKINS, 

No.  26  Frankfort  Street. 
1859. 


[REQUEST 


New  York,  April,  1859. 

Eey.  Wm.  Crowell,  D.  D.  : 

Dear  Sir  : — You  are  well  aware,  no  doubt,  that  for  more 
than  a  year  past  the  public  mind  has  been  aroused  to  a  con- 
sideration of  very  important  questions,  relating  to  the  Mission- 
ary Organizations  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  this  country. 
The  existing  system  of  evangelizing  agencies  has  been  made  the 
subject  of  a  most  searching  discussion,  and  very  diverse  views 
have  been  promulgated  by  means  of  pamphlets,  newspapers, 
letters,  addresses,  and  the  ordinary  communications  of  social 
intercourse.  The  general  interest  in  the  discussion  seems  to  be 
increasing,  and  also  a  desire  for  such  a  degree  of  unity  of 
opinion  as  may  ensure  unity  of  action  on  the  part  of  our 
churches  throughout  the  land. 

The  undersigned,  believing  that  you  have  devoted  an  un- 
usual degree  of  attention  to  the  study  of  the  Baptist  polity,  to 
the  principles  that  underlie  it,  as  well  as  to  its  varied  practical 
operations;  believing,  too,  that  you  have  observed  their  ap]'li- 
cation  and  development  from  different  points  of  view,  both  in 
the  east  and  the  west,  amid  a  great  variety  of  circumstances, 
desire  to  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  furnished  by  your 
visit  to  New  York,  to  draw  forth  from  you  a  free  and  full 
exposition  of  your  views  in  regard  to  these  agitated  topics. 


They  •woiild  be  glad  to  receive  this  either  in  the  form  of  a 
public  address,  to  be  delivered  at  some  convenient  time  and 
place,  or  in  the  form  of  a  communication  from  your  pen,  to  be 
printed  and  published. 


WILLIAM  HAGUE, 
WILLIAM  W.  TODD, 
BENJAMIN  CLAPP, 
GEORGE  GAULT, 
B.  T.  WELCH, 
WILLIAM  PHELPS, 
NATHAN  C.  PLATT, 
WILLIAM  R.  MARTIN, 
PHARCELLUS  CHURCH, 


Z.  RING, 

A.  DECKER, 

WILLIAM  JAMES  TODD, 

H.  M.  BALDWIN, 

A.  H.  BURLINGHAM, 

ROBERT  COLBY, 

LEVI  HAYDEN, 

R.  W.  MARTIN, 

R.  STOUT. 


THOUGHTS 

ox  THE  SYSTEM   OP 

EYANGELIZING  ORGANIZATIONS 


SUITED  TO  THE  KINGDOM  Of  CHRIST. 


To  Rev.  W.  Hague,  D.  D.,  Col.  W.  \V.  Todd,  Benj.  Clapp,  Esq..  and  others: 

Brethren  : — 

It  is  true  that  I  have  paid  some  special  attention 
to  the  study  and  development  of  Baptist  principles,  be- 
cause in  them  I  found  the  true  ideal  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ.  If  I  am  to  take  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  the  com- 
plete and  only  rule  of  faith,  and  the  New  Testament  as 
the  only  authority  for  the  formation,  ordinances  and 
government  of  the  churches  of  Christ,  then  the  aggregate 
of  churches  so  formed  and  governed  is  the  true,  and  the 
only  true,  organized  kingdom  of  Christ  on  the  earth. 

The  primary  idea  of  that  kingdom  is  set  forth  by  our 
Lord  in  His  conversation  with  Nicodemus.  If  there  be  a 
kingdom  of  Christ  in  this  world  at  the  present  day,  then 
those  who  are  described  as  begotten,  or  made  anew  by 
the  Spirit,  are  the  only  persons  who  can  belong  to  it. 
They  are  "  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God."  This  is  the  grand 
distinction  between  that  kingdom  and  the  kingdom  of 
Israel.  The  members  of  the  latter  were  born  of  blood, — 
they  were  the  children  of  Israel  after  the  flesh  ;  the  mem- 
bers of  the  other  are  the  sons  of  God  by  the  Spirit. 
Thus  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth  is  called  the  king- 
dom of  Heaven,  because  it  is  the  true  type  of  that  king- 
dom which  shall  be  perfected  in  hoHness  and  in  glory. 


What   the    glorified   kingdom  will  be,  that  on   earth  is 
struo-srlinii;  to  realize  and  exhibit  to  the  world. 

Takino;,  then,  this  solemn  declaration  of  our  Lord,  that 
none  but  the  regenerate  can  be  members  of  His  king- 
dom, on  earth  or  in  Heaven,  I  was  led  to  inquire  whether 
the  churches  of  Christ,  the  aggregate  of  which  must 
make  up  His  kingdom  on  earth,  ought  to  be  formed  of 
the  regenerate  only. — I  found  the  first  historic  mention  of 
a  church  as  actually  existing  on  earth — the  church  in 
Jerusalem — to  be  in  these  words  :  "The  Lord  added  to 
the  church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved."  Doddridge 
prefers  to  translate  it,  "such  as  were  saved."  But  I 
suppose  it  means,  such  as  were  in  the  course  or  process  of 
being  saved  ;  that  is,  those  who  were  born  of  the  Spirit, 
and  were  now  working  out  their  salvation,  knowing  that 
God  was  working  in  them.  I  cannot  conceive  of  a  more 
concise,  comprehensive,  definite,  or  exact  description  of  a 
church,  in  any  form  of  words.  Here,  then,  we  have  the 
true  idea  of  the  first  church,  and,  as  I  suppose,  the 
pattern  of  every  true  church  to  the  end  of  time.  Those 
who  joined  it  were  such  as  "  the  Lord  added."  And  we 
are  informed  whom  He  added.  Nor  do  I  find  the  record 
of  a  single  deviation  from  this  rule.  When  churches 
were  formed  in  Samaria  and  Galilee,  and  in  the  cities  of 
Antioch,  Ephesus,  Corinth,  and  Philippi,  there  is  abun- 
dant evidence  that  they  were  all  made  up  like  the  first,  of 
"  the  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  called  to  be  saints."  I 
am  unable  to  find  any  evidence  that  the  Apostles  received 
into  the  churches  infants,  or  servants,  or  seekers,  or  any 
persons  except  those  who  were  believed  to  have  "passed 
from  death  unto  life." 

I  found  further,  that  those  who  gave  evidence  of  this 
saving  change  were  baptized  ;  nor  could  I  find  the 
slightest  evidence  that  any  others — exceut  hvpocrites,  who 


falsely  professed  to  be  such, — as  Simon  Magus,  Ananias 
and  Sapphira — were  baptized.  I  found  that  they  were 
baptized  in  token  of  the  remission  of  sins  already  past ; 
and  of  their  death  to  sin,  and  resurrection  to  righteous- 
ness, and  that,  ''tJienfore,  we  are  buried  with  Hi  in 
(Christ)  by  baptism  into  death  ;  that  like  as  Christ  was 
raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  even 
so  we  also  should  walk  in  newness  of  life."  I  could  not 
find  the  record  of  a  single  baptism  that  did  not  conform 
to  this  principle ;  as  it  related  to  the  subject  of  the  ordi- 
nance, its  symbolic  import,  and  its  relation  to  the  Church 
and  Kingdom  of  Christ. 

jSTow,  brethren,  these  are  very  simple  ideas,  and  that 
may  be  the  reason  why  so  many  of  the  "wise  and  pru- 
dent'' have  failed  to  receive  them.  But  if  I  have  given 
special  attention  to  the  study  of  Baptist  principles,  it  is 
because  I  find  them  in  the  word  of  God.  I  have  not 
gone  to  the  Bible  to  find  support  for  those  principles,  but 
to  find  the  truth.  If  Baptist  principles  present  the  true 
outhne  of  the  kingdom  of  our  Redeemer,  then  I  have  not 
studied  them  in  vain.  "  Buy  the  truth  and  sell  it  not." 
I  recognize  among  you,  brethren,  those  who  have  labored 
many  years  by  means  of  the  pen,  and  of  the  living  voice, 
and  by  a  liberal  devotion  of  your  substance,  to  promote 
these  principles,  and  extend  them  over  the  earth.  Why 
have  you  done  it?  Not,  surely,  to  extend  a  denomination, 
— a  mere  name,  or  a  sect — but  because  you  believe  that 
in  these  principles  the  Kingdom  of  your  Lord  and 
Saviour  is  embodied  and  set  forth  before  the  world. 
You  would  not  lift  a  finger  to  extend  these  principles,  if 
you  did  not  believe  them  to  be  identified  with  the  King- 
dom of  Christ. 

If  this  be  not  our  view  of  the  matter,  brethren,  then 
w^^  have  n^t   made  an  honest  profession  of  our  faith.     If 


8 

it  be,  then  we  ought  to  desire  to  fill  the  world  with  our 
doctrine.  We  cannot  labor  to  extend  the  Gospel  with- 
out at  the  same  time  laboring  to  spread  Baptist  prin- 
ciples. When  we  pray,  "  Thy  kingdom  come,"  what  can 
we  mean  but  that  all  men  should  yield  obedience  to  every 
command  of  Christ?  And  can  we  honestly  pray  that 
others  may  obey  while  we  refuse  to  obey  ?  And,  if  we 
believe  that  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord  is  truly  set  forth 
in  these  principles,  we  cannot,  as  honest  men,  desire  that 
any  doctrines  adverse  to  them  should  make  progress  in 
the  world.  We  may  approve  virtue  and  piety  wherever 
we  find  it — in  Jew  or  G-entile  ;  we  can  rejoice  that  Chris- 
tianity, even  in  a  very  defective  form,  is  making  progress; 
we  ought  to  be  lovers  of  all  good  men,  wherever  found  ; 
but  in  our  labors  to  extend  our  Master's  Kingdom,  we 
must  labor  according  to  our  honest  convictions  of  what 
that  kingdom  is.  It  is  written,  "  the  disciples  were  called 
Christians  first  in  Antioch.''  If  they  were  on  the  earth 
now,  we  suppose  that  they  would  also  be  called  Baptists, 
as  we  now  are,  because  the  existence  of  so  many  sects 
would  render  some  additional  name  necessary.  It  is  an 
ancient  and  honorable  name, — more  ancient  even  than 
the  name  Christian  ;  and  we  ought  not  to  be  ashamed  of 
a  name  that  connects  us  with  "the  beginning  of  the 
Gospel,"  and  with  that  ordinance  by  which  we  profess 
"to  be  dead  unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God,  through 
Jesus.  Christ  our  Lord." 

I  take  it  for  granted,  brethren,  that  we  have  all  re- 
ceived and  love  Baptist  principles  for  the  simple  reason 
that  they  embody  and  set  forth  the  kingdom  of  Christ, 
according  to  the  New  Testament.  And  while  we  believe 
that  love  to  God  and  to  men  is  the  life  of  all  true  rehgion, 
that  without  it  the  best  professions  and  the  strijctest  adher- 
ence   to   primitive  order   "is  as   sounding   brass   and  a 


9 

trnkling  symbol,"  yet  we  insist  on  keeping  the  Church  of 
Christ  pure  from  all  human  additions.  For  one,  I  desire 
to  have  nothing  to  do  with  building  up  sects  or  denomina- 
tions. "  Let  them  alone  :  every  plant  which  my  Heaven- 
ly Father  hath  not  planted  shall  be  rooted  up."  If.  in 
spite  of  their  errors,  they  do  good,  let  them  do  it.  But 
let  us  build  up  the  Kingdom  of  our  Redeemer,  just  as  we 
have  received  it  from  the  living  oracles,  not  spending  too 
much  time  in  opposing  the  sects  around  us,  never  copying 
after  any  of  their  measures  or  policy. 

The  Baptists  have  become  a  numerous  and  a  widely  ex- 
tended people.  Our  churches  are  found  in  every  State 
and  Territory  of  the  United  States,  in  most  of  them  in  great 
numbers.  According  to  the  Baptist  Almanac  for  the 
present  year,  there  are  eleven  thousand  six  hundred 
Baptist  churches,  containing  near  a  million  of  members, 
in  the  United  States  ;  besides  half  as  many  more  who 
practice  adult  immersion  as  the  only  baptism.  I  look 
upon  these  facts  as  among  the  marvels  of  modern  history. 
Those  churches  have  received  few  accessions  by  immigration 
from  Europe  ;  they  seem  to  be  the  spontaneous  outgrowth 
from  a  free  Bible,  a  separation  of  Church  and  State,  a  free 
pulpit  and  a  free  press,  under  the  quickening  power  of 
the  Divine  Spirit.  Our  churches  multiply  beyond  all 
possibility  of  supplying  them  with  an  educated  ministry. 
Can  any  reason  be  given  why  these  principles  have  not 
had  a  similar  development  in  Europe,  but  because  they 
have  been  crushed  under  the  iron  heel  of  political  power, 
or  overshadowed  and  choked  by  the  thorns  of  govern- 
mental religious  establishments?  Wherever  the  rigors 
of  persecution  have  been  relaxed,  Baptist  churches  "sprmg 
up  as  the  grass,  and  as  willows  by  the  water  courses." 
In  France,  in  the  various  states  and  cities  of  Germany,  in 
Sweden,  and  Denmark,  churches  are  multiplying.     And 


10 

although  each  of  these  churches  is  a  distinct,  independent 
body,  each  complete  in  itself  for  all  the  purposes  of  gov- 
ernment and  discipline,  yet  all  are  one  in  spirit,  in  prin- 
ciple, in  aim,  and  effort, — all,  when  walking  in  the  light, 
guided  by  the  indwelling  spirit  of  Christ,  ready  to  flow  to- 
gether in  one  great  stream  of  holy  beneficence. 

Now,  it  seems  to  me,  that  a  thoughtful  study  of  the 
lessons  of  Scripture  and  of  history  will  show  not  only 
that  our  principles  make  us  "a  peculiar  people,"  but 
that  we  are,  at  present,  in  a  somewhat  peculiar  crisis. 
Some  of  our  churches  are  numerous  and  wealthy,  others 
small,  scattered  and  poor.  On  all  the  vital  points  of 
faith  and  duty,  we  are  more  nearly  one  body  than  any 
other  on  the  earth.  But  in  our  organizations  for  ex- 
tending the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  it  appears  that  we  have 
not  fully  settled  on  our  plans  of  action.  We  acknowl- 
edge the  general  duty  of  laboring  to  give  practi- 
cal effect  to  the  first  and  greatest  petition  in  our  Lord's 
Prayer,  and  to  execute  His  farewell  commission,  yet  we 
are  not  agreed  on  modes  of  action.  We  admit  the  obliga- 
tion of  making  known  the  Gospel  to  all  the  world,  by 
personal  efforts,  and  by  giving  of  our  substance  ;  but  we 
differ  respecting  the  manner  of  doing  it.  So  that  a  feel- 
ing, like  that  in  the  camp  of  Israel  at  the  chilling  reports 
of  the  spies,  seems  to  be  coming  over  some  of  us  ;  and  the 
proposal,  "Let  us  make  a  captain,  and  let  us  return  into 
Egypt,"  is  likely  to  be  greeted  with  no  lack  of  candidates 
for  the  office.  But  are  Baptists  willing  to  see  our  great 
and  rapidly  increasing  body  turn  back  ?  No,  brethren  ; 
I  hear  the  voice  of  God,  in  His  glorious  providence  to- 
wards us,  sayhig,  "  Speak  to  the  children  of  Israel  that 
they  go  forward."  What  if  the  mountains  are  on  either 
hand,  and  the  host  of  the  Egyptians  behind,  and  the  Red 
Sea  before  us ! — let  us  go  forward. 


11 

The  question  is,  what  plan  of  operations  will  enlist  the 
whole  Baptist  body  in  the  work  of  converting  the  world 
to  God  ?  Are  our  present  organizations  defective,  and  if 
so,  how  can  they  be  improved  so  as  to  meet  the  case  ?  I 
believe  that  we  shall  succeed  in  our  general  organizations 
only  so  far  as  they  conform  to  our  fundamental  and  dis- 
tinctive principles.  It  is  folly  for  us  to  imitate  or  institute 
comparisons  with  the  plans  of  "  other  denominations." 
We  always  lose  by  it.  Our  general  organizations  should 
be  as  truly  the  outgrowth  of  our  principles  as  are  our 
churches  or  local  associations.  The  days  of  our  greatest 
prosperity  and  usefulness  have  been  those  in  which  we 
were  most  purely  and  thoroughly  Baptists.  The  work  to 
be  done  consists  of  two  kinds  :  first,  that  which  can  be 
done  by  individuals,  or  by  the  churches  directly  ;  second, 
that  which  can  only  be  done,  or  be  best  done,  by  a  society, 
or  societies,  intended  to  combine  the  efforts-  of  all  the 
churches.  Our  present  business  is  with  the  latter  class  of 
labor. 

Is  there,  then,  any  one  kind  or  department  of  labor  for 
the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  which  requires, 
or  favors,  a  union  of  all  Baptists,  and  of  all  our  cliurches, 
in  one  general  organization  ?  If  so,  what  is  it  ?  The 
organization  must  be  founded  on  a  principle  which  we  all 
hold  in  common.  Its  object  must  be  so  simple,  so  defi- 
nite, that  every  Baptist  can  understand  it.  There  must 
be  no  room  for  doubt  that  it  is  approved  of  God.  The 
principle  must  not  be  a  doubtful  one,  nor  of  secondary 
importance,  or  partial  application  ;  it  must  be  of  para- 
mount obligation  to  Baptists  of  all  climes  and  ages;  whose 
authority  is  acknowledged  semper,  et  ubique,  et  ab  omnibm. 
Have  we  such  a  principle  on  which  we  can  organize  for 
such  an  object?  If  we  have,  it  is  that  laid  down  in  the 
second  sentence  of  this  letter.     It  is  the  sufficiency  of  the 


12 

Bible  in  the  hands  of  the  people  ;  it  is  the  principle  that 
has  always  made  Baptists  the  antipodes  of  Rome.  We 
have  ever  insisted  on  the  claims  of  God's  word  to  be  the 
first  ;  we  have  charged  the  corruptions  of  Christianity  on 
the  error  of  giving  priority  to  something  else  than  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  We  have  said,  Place  the  Bible  in  the 
hands  of  the  people  ;  let  the  words  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
teacheth  be  given  to  all  nations,  tribes  and  tongues ;  let 
it  be  the  rule  of  faith  to  all  churches  ;  let  no  one  add  to 
or  take  from  its  teaching. 

I  suppose,  therefore,  that  the  dissemination  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  must  always  occupy  the  first  place  in  the  esti- 
mation of  Baptists.  And  they  cannot  give  priority  to  any 
other  form  of  evangelical  labor  without  a  denial  of  their 
own  fundamental  principle.  They,  of  all  men,  should 
lionor  that  life-giving  word  which  God  "hath  magnified 
above  all  His  name."  No  other  book,  no  preaching,  how- 
ever faithful,  can  be  compared  to  that  Holy  Word,  which 
is  "  perfect,  converting  the  soul;"  which  is  "  right,  rejoic- 
ing the  heart ;"  which  is  "  pure,  enlightening  the  eyes  ;" 
which  is  "clean,  enduring  forever  ;"  which  is  "true,  and 
righteous  altogether  ;"  which  is  "  more  to  be  desired  than 
gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  gold."  Here,  then,  in  our  first 
principle  is  our  bond  of  universal  union.  Here  we  can 
all  be  one.  From  north  to  south,  from  east  to  west, 
"from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down  thereof," 
we  can  all  agree  to  give  the  word  of  God  to  the  whole 
world. 

Xow  let  it  be  supposed  that  we  had  no  existing  or- 
ganization at  all  for  extending  the  Gospel,  designed  to 
unite  the  whole  Baptist  family  ;  and  suppose  we  were 
considering  wliat  to  fix  upon,  to  unite  us  all  in  one  work  • 
would  we,  ought  we,  to  unite  in  the  work  of  disseminating 
the  Bible  ? 


13 

A  first  answer  is,  If  we  did  not,  we  should  deny  our 
own  first  principle  ;  we  should  dishonor  that  word  which 
we  profess  to  reverence  above  all  things,  by  giving  pre- 
ference to  the  word  or  the  works  of  man.  While  pro- 
fessing to  believe  in  the  sufficiency  of  the  Bible,  we  should 
in  works  deny  that  profession. 

A  second  answer  is,  We  should  throw  away  our  strongest 
and  most  vital  bond  of  union  ;  the  only  one  that  can  be 
relied  upon  to  unite  all  our  churches.  We  have  no  eccle- 
siastical bond,  no  canon  law,  but  the  living  oracles  ;  we 
have  neither  pope  nor  bench  of  bishops,  neither  con- 
ference nor  general  assembly  ;  yet  we  need  some  bond  of 
union  that  shall  make  us  one  people.  And  what  can  so 
surely,  so  beneficially  do  this,  as  a  union  for  placing  the 
precious  word  of  life,  which  has  so  cheered  and  blessed  us, 
in  the  hands  of  all  our  fellow  men  ?  What  can  so  unite 
our  multitude  of  independent  churches  in  one  great  army, 
as  to  give  practical  life  and  power  to  this,  our  only  un- 
faihng  bond  of  union  ?  What  watchword  can  touch  the 
universal  Baptist  heart,  like  that  of  giving  the  Bible  to 
the  world  ?  Is  there  any  other  bond  of  union  like  this, 
to  run  like  an  electric  wire  through  every  heart  in  all  our 
mighty  host  ? 

A  third  answer  is.  That  if  we  did  not  engage  in  this  work, 
it  would  fall  into  unfaithful  or  incompetent  hands.  The 
manufacture  of  Bibles,  in  the  English  language,  is  chiefly 
in  England,  in  establishments  originally  created  by  govern- 
ment monopohes.  In  the  United  States,  the  business  is 
in  the  hands  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  and  of  private 
publishing  houses.  The  Baptists  do  not  wish  to  disturb 
the  harmony  of  the  English-speaking  race  in  the  use  of 
the  received  version.  But  that  race  comprises  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  human  family.  Who  shall  supply  the  word 
of  God  to  the  countless  millions  who  have  not  received  it  ? 


14 

We  know  that  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and 
the  American  Bible  Society,  have  refused  to  aid  versions 
made  by  our  missionaries,  because  they  are,  as  we  believe, 
fully  translated.  Should  we  leave  the  work  of  giving  the 
Bible  to  the  world  to  those  who  conceal  a  part  of  its 
truth? 

y  A  fourth  answer  is,  The  dissemination  of  the  Bible  is  the 
most  economical  form  of  evangelical  labor.  The  cost  of 
""supporting  a  single  missionary  would  send  out  annually 
some  thousands  of  Bibles.  Such  are  the  facilities  furnished 
by  the  printing  press  for  multiplying  copies,  and  by  the 
opening  of  the  ports  of  nearly  all  nations  to  commercial 
intercourse,  that  we  have  great  inducements  to  scatter  the 
Bible  broadcast  over  the  world  ;  because,  if  one  in  ten  falls 
into  good  ground,  it  is  the  most  economical  form  of  send- 
ing the  bread  of  life  to  the  perishing. 

A  fifth  answer  is,  Baptists  are  the  only  people  who  can, 
or  will,  give  the  Bible,  fully  translated,  to  the  heathen. 
Pedobaptists  must  conceal  that  part  of  the  inspired 
volume  which  condemns  their  practices.  This  question 
has  been  brought  to  a  practical  issue,  in  the  two  great 
Bible  Societies  of  Europe  and  America.  There  is,  there- 
fore, no  alternative  left  us,  but  either  to  allow  a  mutilated 
Bible  to  go  to  the  heathen,  to  allow  our  missionary  trans- 
lators to  be  compelled  to  conceal  a  part  of  God's  word, 
and  our  principles  to  be  insulted,  or  to  engage,  as  a  body, 
in  the  Bible  cause. 

But  the  question  may  still  be  asked :  Suppose  that 
we  were  now,  for  the  first  time,  to  devise  a  system  of 
evangelical  organizations  best  adapted  to  develop  the  spirit- 
ual life,  and  extend  the  influence  and  the  efficiency  of  the 
American  Baptists,  would  it  be  wise  to  organize  a  society 
for  the  Bible  cause  ?  Might  not  the  Bible  work  be  com- 
mitted to  some  other  society  ? 


15 

Very  likely  it  miglit,  if  Baptists  are  jDrepared  to  take  a 
lesson  from  Rome,  and  make  the  Bible  cause  secondary 
to  some  other.  A  board  selected  for  some  other  work, 
might  do  the  Bible  work  after  some  fashion.  But,  would 
this  course  be  treating  the  word  of  God  with  that  rever- 
ence which  is  its  due  ?  What  work  would  Baptists  place 
before  that  of  giving  God's  word  to  the  nations  ?  If  it  is 
to  be  grafted  on  to  some  other,  what  shall  the  parent  stem 
be  ?  What  is  worthy  to  be  the  principal,  if  this  is  second- 
ary ?  Would  it  not  be  more  wise  and  more  consistent,  to 
engraft  other  branches  of  benevolent  effort  upon  this? 
Is  not  the  dissemination  of  the  Bible  the  parent  stem,  by  ^ 
right,  of  all  branches  of  evangelical  labor?  If  Baptists 
build  their  churches  on  the  Bible,  shall  they  not  build 
their  system  of  united  evangelical  labor  on  the  same 
foundation  ?  If  we  are  wise  or  consistent,  we  shall  put 
the  Bible  cause  foremost ;  we  shall  select  a  board  with 
special  reference  to  it,  and  then  commit  as  many  other 
trusts  to  their  hands  as  we  may  deem  them  able  to  dis- 
charge with  advantage.  We  are  brought  to  the  conclu- 
sion, then,  that  if  Baptists  had  no  general,  united  societies 
for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel,  they  would  first  organize  for 
the  diffusion  of  the  Bible.  That  they  ought  to  do  so, 
cannot  admit  of  a  doubt. 

The  work  of  translating,  printing,  and  distributing 
the  Bible  is  not  a  branch  of  preaching  or  teaching.  It 
takes  precedence  of  all  other  evangelizing  agencies.  It 
is  the^tem,  the  tap  root  of  missions— foreign  or  domestic 
iTwas  by  reading  the  Bible  that  Luther,  and  Wicklifife, 
and  Tyndal,  became  converts,  then  translators,  preachers, 
and  reformers  ;  it  was  by  reading  the  Bible  that  Ab- 
dallah,  the  Arabian,  became  a  Christian  ;  it  was  by  hearing 
it  read  that  the  first  Greenlander  was  converte  j.  The 
work  of  a  Bible  Society  is  to  give  the  very  words  which 


16 

the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth  to  the  eye  and  to  the  ear  of  all 
the  people  and  nations  of  men  ;  and,  as  a  Baptist,  I  say, 
that  we  ought  to  have  a  Bible  Society,  if  we  have  no 
other.  Is  it  strange  that  Baptists  cannot  sustain  a  central- 
izing organization  which  rejects  the  central  banner  of 
their  union  ?  If  we  do  not  make  a  Bible  organization 
our  rallying  standard,  then  we  fcave  none.  There  can  be 
no  other  common  universally  recognized  bond  of  union  to 
our  multitude  of  churches.  Reject  our  central  idea,  and 
we  have  no  common  centre. 

I  cannot  stop  now,  brethren,  to  consider  objections  on 
the  score  of  economies.  We,  Baptists,  ought  to  be  duly 
grateful  that  we  have  iDrethren  who  are  considerate  of 
our  purses.  One  thing  is  certain,  however  :  if  American 
Baptists  cannot  sustain  a  Bible  Society,  then  there  cannot 
be  one  sustained  and  controlled  by  Baptists  at  all.  I  can- 
not divest  myself  of  the  idea,  that  the  written  word  of  the 
Most  High  God  demands  some  special  honor,  even  where 
we  cannot  reckon  up  the  profit  ;  at  least  of  a  people  who 
profess  to  hold  it  in  so  high  reverence  as  we  do.  For  one, 
I  had  rather  run  the  risk  of  going  too  far,  in  doing  honor 
to  that  word,  than  of  falling  short.  The  sons  of  Eli 
thought  it  poor  economy,  no  doubt,  to  consume  the  fat  of 
the  people's  sacrifices  in  burnt  offerings  to  the  Lord  ;  but 
God  said,  "them  that  honor  me,  I  will  honor;  but 
they  that  despise  me  shall  be  lightly  esteemed."  When  I 
read  in  the  pages  of  the  Inspired  Word  those  declarations 
of  its  surpassing  excellence,  which  cannot  be  applied  to 
any  other  book,  nor  to  any  other  thing ;  when  I  compare 
our  professions  of  respect  for  the  Bible  with  our  practice 
in  giving  so  much  greater  prominence  to  missions  than  to 
the  Bible,  I  am  led  to  ask,  whether  we  ard  not  obnoxious 
to  the^same  reproof;  "wherefore  honorest  thou  thy 
sons  above  me,  to  make  yourselves  fat  with  the  chiefest 


17 

of  all  the  offerings  of  Israel  my  people  ?"  The  Bible  is 
to  us  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  and  the  Testimony  ;  it  is 
between  the  Cherubim  that  overshadow  the  Mercy  Seat ; 
it  is  the  Shekinah,  whose  streaming  rays  come  forth  un- 
veiled from  the  Holy  of  Holies.  And  shall  we,  who  pro- 
fess to  reverence  the  Bible  more  than  all  others,  who 
claim  that  its  teachings  have  made  us  Baptists,  who  have 
no  other  sure  bond  of  union, — shall  we  leave  the 
Bible  work  to  others  ?  If  we  do,  we  shall  deserve  to  be, 
as  we  shall  be,  the  fag  end  of  "  the  denominations  ;"  for 
then  the   glory  will  have  departed  from  our  Israel. 

But  we  have  not  done  our  whole  duty  when  we  put 
the  Bible  into  the  hands  of  the  people.  It  must  be  ex- 
plained, advocated,  defended,  by  the  living  voice,  and  by 
the  written  and  printed  page.  We  have  the  Divine  sanc- 
tion for  both  these  methods.  Both  have  their  peculiar 
advantages.  But,  while  it  is  admitted  that  the  living 
voice  of  the  living  preacher  has  its  advantages,  while  it  is 
true  that  we  have  the  precepts  and  examples  of  our  Lord 
and  of  His  Apostles  to  sanction  the  oral  preaching  of  tlu) 
Grospel,  it  is  no  less  true  that  both  Scripture  and  expe- 
rience give  special  prominence  to  the  written  page.  It  has 
been  thought  by  some  that  God  revealed  the  art  of  writ- 
ing, to  men.  The  Law  was  given  on  "  two  tables  of  stone, 
written  with  the  finger  of  God."  And  lest  this  most 
striking  fact  should  not  be  remembered,  it  is  repeated 
that  "the  tables  were  the  work  of  God,  and  the  writing 
was  the  writing  of  God,  graven  with  the  finger  of  God."' 
And  when  Moses  broke  these  wonderful  tables,  he  was 
commanded  to  hew  out  two  others  like  them  ;  and  God 
wrote  on  them  the  same  words  that  were  on  the  first. 
The  people  were  commanded  to  write  the  laws  on  their 
door-posts,  on  their  garments,  and  on  the  frontlets  of  their 
eyes.  To  the  king  of  Israel  this  commandment  was 
given :  2 


18 

"  And  it  shall  be,  when  he  sitteth  upon  the  throne  of  his  kingdom,  that 
he  shall  write  him  a  copy  of  this  law  in  a  book,  out  of  that  which  is  be- 
fore the  priests,  the  Levites.  And  it  shall  be  with  him,  and  he  shall 
read  therein  all  the  days  of  his  life :  that  he  may  learn  to  fear  the  Lord 
his  God,  to  keep  all  the  words  of  this  law  and  these  statutes,  to  do 
them:  that  his  heart  be  not  lifted  up  above  his  brethren,  and  that  he 
turn  not  aside  from  the  commandment  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left; 
to  the  end  that  he  may  prolong  his  days  in  his  kingdom,  he  and  his 
children,  in  the  midst  of  Israel."— Deut.  17:  18—20. 

Our  Lord  appears  to  have  commenced  His  public 
ministry  by  reading  the  Scriptures.  He  refuted  the 
sophistries  of  Satan  by  saying,  "It  is  written."  If  this 
prominence  was  given  to  letters  as  the  medium  of  preserv- 
ing and  disseminating  religious  truth,  w^hen  the  printing 
press  was  unknown — when  copies  were  multipUed  by  the 
slow  process  of  writing,  ought  we  not  to  give  correspond- 
ing prominence  to  the  wonderful  facilities  furnished  by 
the  printing  press  ?  Then,  only  kings  and  priests  could 
liave  the  inspired  volume  ;  but  Christians  are  all 
"  kings  and  priests  unto  God."  Hence  John,  in  vision, 
was  commanded,  "What  thou  seest  write  in  a  book,  and 
send  it  unto  the  churches."  And  he  wrote,  "Blessed  is 
<*  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  (if  they  could  not 
■  i-ead)  the  words  of  this  prophecy."  The  Bible  is  full  of 
ilhistrations  of  the  great  advantages  of  the  written  over 
the  oral  method  of  disseminating  knowledge,  and  of 
spreading  Divine  truth  in  the  world.  I  think  that  there 
has  been  a  tendency  among  us  to  exaggerate  the  compar- 
ative value  of  the  oral  over  the  printed  message,  in  our 
evangelizing  efforts.  I  think  that  we  should  consider 
carefully  the  question,  whether  we  ought  not  to  bestow  a 
larger  portion  of  our  labors  on  the  work  of  book-making 
and  distribution. 

But  I  will  not  stop  to  argue  this  point  now,  because  I 
have  another  object  in  hand,  viz :  Which  method  of  pub- 


19 

lishing  the  Gospel,  (next  to  the  circulation  of  the  Bible,) 
the  oral  or  the  written,  is  most  favorable  to  a  general 
union  of  all  our  churches?  The  latter,  I  think.  The  ob- 
ject is  to  circulate,  far  and  wide,  books  that  advocate  and 
defend  the  truth  ;  and,  if  necessary,  expose  error.  We 
have  brethren  of  sufficient  learning,  judgment,  wisdom, 
piety,  and  soundness  in  the  faith,  to  prepare  or  to  select 
such  books  as  we  can  all  agree  to  circulate.  And  a  book 
once  approved,  stands  approved.  It  does  not  depart  from 
the  ftiith,  nor  become  apostate,  as  preachers  sometimes 
do  ;  it  does  not  fall  from  grace,  nor  become  proud,  nor 
worldly,  nor  indolent,  nor  obstinate  or  refractory,  as  even 
missionaries  are  sometimes  charged  with  doing.  A  good 
book  does  not  require  to  be  fed  nor  clothed,  costs  little 
for  outfit  and  travelling  expenses,  is  not  liable  to  fall  sick, 
nor  to  entail  a  family  of  helpless  children  on  those  who 
sent  it  forth.  It  never  tires  on  its  mission  of  light  and 
love  ;  it  goes  to  the  sick  chamber,  fearless  of  all  contagion  ; 
it  tells  the  same  story  to  the  rich  as  to  the  poor — to  the 
prince  as  the  peasant;  it  goes  where  no  preacher  can  go, 
and  gains  access  to  places  into  which  no  missionary 
would  be  admitted.  How  many  living  missionaries  could 
do  the  work  that  the  silent  pages  of  the  Pilgrim's  Pro- 
gress is  now  doing,  in  the  fifty  languages  in  which  it  is 
read  ? 

If  the  work  of  evans-elizins^  the  world  were  confined  to 
the  unlettered  tribes,  hke  the  North  American  Indians, 
or  the  Bushmen  of  Africa,  the  case  would  be  different. 
But  the  press  has  become  the  great  power  of  the  world. 
If  \Ye  let  it  alone,  it  will  not  let  us  alone.  It  is  a  fearful 
engine  for  good  or  evil.  There  is,  "first,  the  irreligious 
press.  It  puts  forth  its  baneful  power  in  all  lands  where 
letters  are  known.  It  sends  out  books,  tracts,  magazines, 
iViid  newspapers.     They  are  read,  and  dilFuse  their  poison 


20 

everywhere.  They  find  an  existing  demand  in  the  de- 
pravity of  human  nature.  What  is  to  counteract  them? 
The  commercial  law  of  supply  and  demand  ?  The  Devil 
wants  no  better  terms.  If  Christians  will  not  combine  to 
"lift  up  a  standard  against  him,"  he  is  sure  of  success. 
Shall  we  be  so  ignorant  of  his  devices  as  to  give  him  this 
advantage  ? 

Next  comes  the  polite,  fashionable  literature, — the  novels, 
the  sensation  books,  the  biographies  of  villany,  books  of 
tratels,  of  art,  and  science,  poetry  and  prose,  the  flashy 
newspapers  and  magazines,  with  which  the  press  is  teem- 
ing. Suppose  that  they  are  not  hostile  to  religion,  that 
they  throw  out  no  covert  sneers,  no  slighting  allusions, 
which  is  more  than  can  be  truly  said.  Suppose  that  they 
simply  ignore  the  claims  of  Jesus,  our  Lord, — yet  they  come 
with  all  the  charms  of  novelty,  with  all  the  attractions  of 
style,  with  all  the  prestige  that  genius,  and  art,  and 
fashion  can  invest  them,  to  pre-oecupy  the  mind,  to  ab- 
sorb the  thoughts,  to  vitiate  the  taste  of  the  young,  and 
banish  religion  from  the  circle  of  their  influence.  Shall 
we  do  nothing  to  counteract  it  ?  Shall  we  leave  the  law 
of  supply  and  demand  to  create  a  taste  for  a  thoroughly 
Christian  literature  ? 

A  third  class  is  the  general  religious  literature,  which 
advocates  those  Christian  doctrines  and  duties  that  are 
commonly  received,  but  omits  others,  which  are  essential 
to  the  completeness  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ.  "Thousands 
of  such  books  are  published,  and  we  rejoice  in  all  the. 
good  that  they  do.  The  issues  of  the  American  Tract 
Societ}^,  and  of  the  American  Sunday-school  Union,  are 
excellent  in  their  place.  But  we  aTl  believe  that  they 
omit  some  of  the  truth  taught  in  the  Bible  that  our  Lord 
requires  to  be  taught,  as  essential  to  the  completeness  of 
His  kingdom.     Shall  we  leave  that  part  of  the  Gospel 


21 

which  even  good  men  overlook,  to  the  mercantile  chances 
of  supply  and  demand  ? 

A  fourth  class  of  books,  tracts,  sermons,  and  essa3^s, 
come  from  the  various  Pedobaptist  presses,  assailing  our 
principles  and  practices,  our  church  polity  and  ordinances, 
with  all  the  power  that  talent,  learning,  prejudice  and 
fashion  can  bring  to  bear  upon  them.  A  large  part  of  the 
private  publishing  houses  of  the  country  are  controlled 
by  Pedobaptists,  or  by  men  of  no  religion,  who  always 
lean  towards  the  side  of  wealth,  fashion,  and  worldly  in- 
fluence. And  it  is  a  singular  and  suggestive  fact,  that  a 
large  part  of  the  books  of  religious  controversy  are  aimed 
at  Baptists.  Papists  may  teach  priestly  a-bsolution  and 
mariolatry,  Episcopalians  may  teach  baptismal  regenera- 
tion and  salvation  by  works,  Unitarians  may  degrade  the 
Son  of  God  and  profane  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  Uni- 
versalists  may  promise  Heaven  to  the  wicked,  though 
he  add  drunkenness  to  thirst,  Campbellites  may  delude 
their  votaries  to  expect  the  remission  of  sins  in  the  water, 
but  you  shall  find  your  staunch  Puritans  and  Presbyte- 
rians, of  all  their  jarring  schools,  spending  more  shafts  on 
the  Baptists  than  on  all  these  errorists  together  !  And 
wh}'-  ?  What  evil  have  we  done,  even  on  their  own  prin- 
ciples ?  Oh,  we  say,  that  "as  many  of  us  as  were  baptized 
into  Jesus  Christ  v/ere  baptized  into  his  death,  and  there- 
fore we  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism  into  death." 
The  head  and  front  of  our  offending  is,  that  we  dare  to 
carry  out  this  truth.  They  admit  the  truth  by  inviting 
us  to  their  communion,  they  illustrate  their  charity  by 
abusing  us  for  adhering  to  our  principles,  and  their 
honesty  by  denouncing  the  very  principles  which  they 
admit  to  be  true !  And  if  we  do  leave  to  Baptist  private 
publishers  the  work  of  refuting  these  assaults,  yet  the 
Pedobaptists  have  in  their  societies  a  publishing  capital 


22 

of  not  less  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars,  employed 
in  printing  and  circnlating  a  Pedobaptist  literature. 
Shall  Baptists  let  this  mighty  flood  roll  over  the  land  un- 
checked? No!  if  they  regard  their  principles  as  worth 
defending,  if  they,  believe  that  they  have  their  Lord's 
commission  to  preach,  embody  and  defend  His  Gospel,  in 
its  simplicity  and  completeness,  they  will  be  recreant  to 
their  trust,  if  they  do  not  unite  as  one  to  employ  the 
mighty  energies  of  the  press  in  its  behalf  Error  in 
books  and  tracts  must  be  repelled  by  truth  in  books  and 
tracts.  And  as  Jesus  did  not  wait  for  people  to  come 
and  buy  his  truth,  but  "went  about  doing  good,"  so  we 
should  carry  that  truth  everywhere. 

While,  therefore,  we  ought  to  rejoice  in  all  that  private 
publishers  are  doing,  and  when  we  "  pray  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  to  send  forth  laborers,"  should  include  in  that 
prayer  a  petition  for  an  increase  of  godly  publishers  and 
booksellers,  yet  Baptists  should  combine  their  strength  to 
print  and  distribute  books  and  tracts.  If  we  had  no  so- 
ciety for  this  purpose,  it  would  be  our  duty  to  form  one 
forthw^ith,  and  to  endow  it  liberally.  Such  a  society,  next 
to  a  Bible  Society,  is  most  favorable  to  a  general  union  of 
all  our  churches.  It  is  the  second  best  common  bond  to 
preserve  among  our  extended  body  the  unity  of  the  faith 
and  unity  of  action.  It  is  a  cause  of  sufficient  magnitude, 
and  sufficiently  distinct,  to  require  the  undivided  energies 
of  one  society. 

The  other  method  of  extending  the  Kingdom  of  Christ 
— that  by  means  of  oral  preaching  and  teaching — -diffi^rs ' 
from  the  other  two  in  several  important  particulars.  The 
object  of  sending  out  missionaries,  that  is,  evangelists, 
whether  into  our  own  or  a  foreign  country,  is  to  raise  np 
churches.*     This  was  our  Lord's  appointment.    The  Apos- 

•  See  Appendix,  note  A. 


23 

ties  planted  churches  wherever  they  could,  and  these 
churches,  made  of  baptized  believers  only,  are  called  by 
the  t^ignificant  name  of  "  candlesticks,''^  or  light-bearers  to 
the  world.  A  church  is  independent,  though  the  mis- 
sionary, or  evangelist,  around  whom  it  is  gathered,  is  its 
pastor  or  bishop.  So  far  as  we  send  out  men  to  preach, 
we,  of  course,  wish  them  to  form  churches.  We  wish  to 
dot  the  world  all  over  with  independent,  self-sustaining 
churches,  all  made  up  of  baptized  believers  only,  all 
"candlesticks"  to  the  regions  around  them.  Now,  as  to 
the  relative  importance  of  this  department  of  labor  for 
the  extension  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  and  the  manner 
in  which  Baptists  ought  to  combine  to  carry  it  on,  there 
are  several  things  to  be  remembered. 

In  the  first  place.  It  is  necessarily  expensive.  A  mis- 
sionary, especially  to  a  heathen  people,  must  be  a  man  of 
the  highest  order  of  intellect,  learning,  and  piety.  He 
should  be  a  tried  and  jDroved  man  ;  not  only  capable  of 
defending  the  Gospel  against  the  sophistries  of  heathenism, 
but  one  who  can  be  trusted  to  lay  the  foundation  of  new 
churches,  and  be  an  example  to  the  flocks  thus  gathered. 
To  train  up  and  support  such  men,  must  be  expensive. 

In  the  second  place,  There  is  a  broad  distinction  between 
the  work  of  an  evangelist,  or  missionary,  sent  out  to 
preach  and  to  raise  up  churches,  and  a  Bible  translator 
or  a  book  distributor.  A  good  translator  may  be  a  very 
indifferent  preacher,  and  a  good  preacher  may  be  a  very 
poor  translator.  A  man  might  be  quite  competent  to 
circulate  the  Bible,  as  well  as  to  read  and  explain  it,  who 
would  not  be  a  suitable  guide  to  the  churches  ;  and  a  good 
missionary  is  rarely  a  good  book  distributor.  The  work 
belongs  to  different  classes  of  men,  and  requires  a  difler- 
ent  superintendence. 

In  the  third  place,  There  is  no  apostolic  authority  for 


24 

the  modern  division  of  missionary  labor  into  home  and 
foreign.  Paul  speaks  of  an  arrangement  by  which  James, 
Peter  and  John  were  to  preach  to  the  Jews,  while  he  and 
Barnabas  would  go  to  the  Gentiles.  But  even  this  di- 
vision was  not  regarded  ;  for  Peter  first  preached  to  the 
Gentiles,  and  Paul  opened  the  Gospel  message  first  to 
the  Jews,  wherever  he  went.  But  the  division  into 
foreign  and  home  missions  is  a  modern  invention.  A 
foreign  mission  society  is  but  half  a  society  ;  and  a  home 
mission  society  is  but  half  a  society.  "  The  field  is  the 
world."  "Go  ye  into  aU  the  world,"  is  the  commission. 
And  a  Mission  Board,  competent  to  send  evangelists  to  a 
foreign  nation,  must  be  still  more  competent  to  send  laborers 
into  the  destitute  portions  of  their  own  country.  Nothing 
would  be  more  likely  to  happen  than  that  applicants  for 
service  in  a  foreign  country,  would  be  judged  more  suit- 
able for  home  service. 

In  the  fourth  place.  The  work  of  sending  out  evangelists, 
either  into  our  own  or  a  foreign  country,  differs  from  the 
Bible  and  book  work,  in  this  :  it  is  not  possible,  nor  de- 
sirable, to  unite  the  churches  generally  in  one  organiza- 
tion, to  promote  it.  This  work  is  partly  ecclesiastical, 
partly  fiscal.  A  missionary  must  be  a  member  of  some 
church  ;  his  piety,  call  to  the  ministry,  and  fitness  for  his 
work,  must  have  been  approved  by  some  church.  He  is 
amenable  to  the  discipline  of  that  church  till  he  is  dis- 
missed from  it,  and  received  into  another.  Yet  the  Board 
that  sends  him  forth  gives  him  instructions,  and  thus  he 
becomes  accountable  to  two  bodies.  His  conduct  may  be 
approved  by  his  church,  but  disapproved  by  the  Board. 
Then,  if  a  Board  is  constituted  by  the  concurrent  author- 
ity of  many  churches,  or  of  individual  members  of  many 
churches,  they  are  likely  to  set  up  dilTerent  standards  of 
qualifications,  to  have  difierent  theories,  and  irreconcilable 


25 

plans  of  missionary  labor  :  then  come  up  doctrinal  ques- 
tions, such  as  general  atonement,  or  particular  atone- 
ment, free  will,  election  and  the  saints'  perseverance,  to 
say  nothing  of  different  opinions  respecting  polygamy, 
temperance,  slavery,  aad  other  questions  which  might  em- 
barrass an  extended  society  very  greatly,  though  they 
would  cause  no  trouble  to  a  single  church,  or  to  a  small 
cluster  of  churches.  Possibly  some  of  you,  brethren,  may 
recollect  some  illustrations  from  our  experience  in  mission- 
ary operations. 

In  the  fifth  place,  There  are  serious  objections  to  the 
forming  and  endowing  of  a  large  society  for  the  purpose 
of  sending  out  missionary  evangelists,  especially  into  a 
foreign  land.  The  management  of  such  a  society  must, 
necessarily,  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  few  men,  and  as 
naturally  remain  in  the  same  hands,  from  year  to  year. 
These  few  men  have  the  power  to  appoint  and  discharge 
missionaries,  and  to  fix  the  amount  of  their  compensation, 
to  instruct  them  what  fields  of  labor  to  enter,  or  to  leave, 
and  to  punish  them  for  any  disobedience  to  their  orders. 
Yet,  these  missionaries  are  Baptist  ministers,  sent  to  be- 
come the  pastors  of  independent  churches,  equal  in 
official  rank  to  their  brethren  at  home  ;  and  it  is  a  con- 
ceded principle,  that  every  preacher  among  us  is  left  to 
his  own  responsibility  to  his  Master,  in  choosing  his 
field  of  labor.  Yet,  a  foreign  missionary  must  obey  his  in- 
structions, on  peril  of  being  recalled,  or  of  being  deprived 
of  his  means  of  subsistence.  I  am  not  censuring,  even  by 
implication,  anything  that  has  been  done  to,  or  by,  our 
foreign  missionaries,  but  I  ask,  as  a  Baptist,  is  such  a 
system  right  ?  I  see  very  little  danger  in  a  society  sup- 
ported by  every  Baptist  on  the  footstool,  whose  sole 
object  is  to  give  the  Bible,  the  pure,  unadulterated  word 
of  God,  to  the  world  :  but  I  do  see  very  grave  objections 


26 

to  a  large  centralizing  society  for  the  sending  out  of  mis- 
sionaries. With  my  present  views,  I  could  put  myself 
under  the  control  of  no  such  society;  I  would  have  the  same 
freedom  abroad  that  I  claim  at  home,  or  I  would  not  go 
abroad  ;  and  if  I  could  not  be  supposed  to  be  as  honest, 
as  faithful  to  my  Master's  interests,  and  as  judicious  in  re- 
spect to  the  manner  of  my  labors  abroad  as  my  brethren 
at  home,  I  would  stay  at  home,  I  would  send  honest 
accounts  of  my  labors  to  those  who  undertook  to  "hold 
the  rope,"  while  I  went  down  into  the  dark  well  of 
heathenism,  but  I  would  labor  according  to  my  own  con- 
victions of  duty  respecting  my  Master's  will.  I  would 
have  this  well  understood,  however,  before  I  went,  by 
those  who  undertook  the  burden  of  my  support,  and  if  I 
put  myself  under  the  orders  of  a  board,  I  would  obey 
them  strictly,  so  long  as  I  held  a  commission  from  them. 

In  the  sixth  place.  The  work  of  sending  out  mission- 
ar}^  evangelists  properly  belongs  to  clmrches  or  to  indi- 
viduals. Tliis  seems  to  have  been  the  way  that  churches 
were  planted  at  the  first.  The  order  of  events,  after  the 
mention  of  the  church  in  Jerusalem,  to  which  I  have  be- 
fore alluded,  is  thus  : 

1.  At  that  time  there  was  a  great  persecution  against  tlie  church 
which  was  at  Jerusalem,  and  they  were  all  scattered  abroad 
throughout  the  regions  of  Judea  and  Samaria,  except  the  Apostles. 
— Acts  8:1. 

2.  Therefore,  they  that  were  scattered  abroad  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  word. — 8  :   4. 

3.  Then  had  the  churches  rest  throughout  all  Judea,  and  Galilee, 
and  Samaria,  and  Avere  edified,  and,  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord, 
und  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  were  multiplied. — 9  :  31. 

If  we  take  these  brief  historic  notices  as  intended  to 
indicate  the  means  by  which  these  churches  were  planted, 
we  find  that  it  was  not  done  by  the  Apostles,  but  by  indi- 
viduals   who   seem   to    have    been   laymen.      Churches 


27 

sprung  up  as  the  fruit  of  the  preaching  of  these  fugitives 
from  persecution,  which  must  have  consisted  chiefly  in  a 
relation  of  the  miracles,  teaching  and  death  of  Jesus,  with 
the  proofs  that  He  was  the  Messiah  predicted  by  the  pro- 
phets. If  churches  were  planted  by  means  so  simple  at 
that  day,  there  can  be  no  necessity  for  a  great  corporation 
to  do  it  now.  The  true  idea  of  a  missionary  evangelist  is, 
one  sent  of  the  Lord.  "Whence  did  Baptists  borrow  the 
project  of  a  great  missionary  corporation,  to  assume  the 
support  of  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen  ? 
Xot  of  the  Apostles,  certainly ;  not  of  their  own  ecclesiastical 
principles.  Paul  had  no  such  corjporation  to  sustain  him  ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  the  churches  which  he  planted,  in- 
stead of  looking  back  to  a  board  at  Jerusalem  for  pecuni- 
ary aid,  did  just  the  reverse.  "  For,"  says  Paul,  "  it  hath 
pleased  them  of  Macedonia  and  Achaia  to  make  a  certain 
contribution  for  the  poor  saints  at  Jerusalem  ;  it  hath 
pleased  them,  verily,  and  their  debtors  they  are.  For  if 
the  Gentiles  have  been  made  partakers  of  their  spiritual 
things,  their  duty  is  also  to  minister  to  them  in  carnal 
things."  These  churches  not  only  sustained  the  Apostle 
as  their  missionary,  but  felt  that  they  were  indebted  to 
his  countrynien  also. 

These  facts  show  us  what  has  been  done  by  personal 
effort,  guided  by  personal  wisdom,  impelled  by  personal 
foith  and  love.  What  has  been  done,  can  be  done.  Carey, 
the  pioneer  of  modern  missionaries  to  the  East,  made  his 
own  mission  ;  he  and  his  associates  sustained  themselves, 
not  only  devoting  all  that  they  received  from-  England  to 
the  printing  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  support  of  other 
missionaries,  but  they  contributed  eighty  thousand  pounds 
sterling,  from  their  own  earnings,  besides.  Judson,  the 
pioneer  of  American  missionaries,  with  the  aid  of  his 
associates,  made   his  own  mission,  and  called  into  being 


28 

the  societies  that  sustained  them.  Solomon  says,  that  "  a 
man's  giftmaketh  room  for  him."  If  the  spirit  and  power 
of  a  missionary  is  not  in  a  man,  no  society  can  put  it 
there  ;  if  it  is  there,  it  will  make  itself  known.  I  think 
that  Baptists  must  see,  from  the  nature  of  their  principles 
as  well  as  from  their  experience,  that  a  great  corporation, 
to  assume  the  support  and  control  of  missionary  evangel- 
ists, is  exceedingly  undesirable  in  itself.  The  work  be- 
longs to  individuals  and  to  churches  ;  but  a  corporation 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  world  with  the  pure 
word  of  God  is  an  entirely  diflerent  thing. 

Turning  now  to  our  existing  societies  for  extending  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  we  find  the  Missionary  Union,  under 
its  successive  names  and  forms,  to  be  the  oldest ;  though 
foreign  missions  is  not  the  earliest  evangelizing  enterprise 
of  American  Baptists.  The  Bible  cause  and  domestic 
missions  had  received  earlier  attention.*  The  conversion 
of  Judson  and  Rice,  united  with  the  example  of  Carey 
and  his  associates,  was  the  occasion  of  enlisting  us  in. 
behalf  of  missions  to  India  and  the  East.  The  influence 
of  Judson  on  the  course  of  our  evangelizing  labors  has 
been  very  peculiar.  He  was  not  reared  as  one  of  us  :  he 
was  our  missionary,  though  unknown  to  us  by  face,  almost 
a  third  of  a  century :  the  story  of  his  patience  in  the 
most  fearful  sufferings,  even  to  bonds  and  imprisonment, 
had  connected  him  with  the  noble  army  of  Confessors 
and  Martyrs  ;  the  Memoir  of  his  distinguished  wife  liad 
taken  the  charm  from  the  tales  of  romance,  and  the  name 
of  Judson,  the  hero  missionary,  the  Apostle  to  Burmah, 
awakened  emotions  of  pious  admiration,  second  only  to 
those  of  the  heroic  age  of  Christianity,  or  of  Apostles  who 
had  sealed  their  testimony  with  their  blood.  His  fame 
and  his  history  were  household  words  ;  his  piet}^  zeal, 

^  Sec  Appendix,  Note  B. 


29 

and  self-forgetting  love  for  the  perishing  heathen — his 
serene  faith,  his  meekness,  patience,  constancy,  and  emi- 
nent services,  were  themes  of  universal  admiration. 
Money  flowed  like  water  at  the  mention  of  the  name 
of  Judson  ;  it  became  the  watchword  of  societies  for 
missionary  inquiry  by  young  men  in  their  novitiate  for 
the  Christian  ministry,  many  of  whom  committed  them- 
selves to  the  work  of  missions  in  India  under  very  crude 
impressions  of  the  nature  of  the  work,  some  to  labor  very 
successfully  many  years,  some  to  return  disabled  or  dis- 
satisfied, more  to  find  an  early  grave. 

An  experiment  of  thirty  years  has  taught  us,  that  all 
who  go  to  the  East  as  missionaries  do  not  become  Jud- 
sons.  Disagreements  between  the  missionaries,  and  be- 
tween them  and  the  Board,  have  come  to  light ;  murmurs 
of  discontent  from  the  missionaries  have  become  louder 
and  louder ;  the  relations  of  missionaries  to  the  Board 
have  been  elaborately  defined,  over  and  over,  3^et  they  re- 
fused to  stay  defined,  till  at  last,  the  pent  up  elements  of 
discord,  incapable. of  longer  control,  exploded  in  this  city, 
to  our  unutterable  mortification  ;  and  the  halo  of  myste- 
rious sanctity  around  our  Asiatic  missions  was,  for  a  time, 
thoroughly  dispelled.  And  they  are  now  represented  as 
enfeebled  and  flagging,  if  not  in  danger  of  utter  extinction ! 

During  the  same  period,  our  Foreign  Mission  organiza- 
tion has  been  the  occasion  of  bickerings  and  divisions  be- 
tween the  brethren  at  home.  The  General  Missionary 
Convention,  formed  in  May,  1814,  was  composed  of 
Baptists  from  eleven  States, — Rev.  Dr.  Furman,  of  South 
Carolina,  being  President ;  Rev.  Dr.  Baldwin,  of  Massa- 
chusetts, Secretary.  Gano  and  Semple,  Bolles  and  John- 
son, united  as  brethren  of  the  same  household  of  faith,  in 
sending  the  bread  of  life  to  the  perishing.  But,  after  the 
lapse  of  years,  sectional  jealousies  sprang  up  :  poHtical 


30 

questions,  mixed  up  with  questions  relating  to  church 
fellowship,  were  thrown  into  missionary  discussions  ;  an- 
other basis  of  cooperation  than  a  common  faith  in  Christ 
and  the  institutions  pertaining  to  His  kingdom  was  insisted 
on, — till  at  last,  the  tie  that  bound  the  Baptist  body  in 
fraternal  cooperation  for  the  extension  of  the  Redeemer's 
Ivingdom  was  severed;  not  over  a  real,  living,  actual  ques- 
tion of  difference,  but  over  a  vacuum, — a  mere  hypotheti- 
cal question !  Next  came  the  expedient  to  remedy  the 
error  with  human  wisdom,  borrowed  from  the  "denomi- 
nations ;"  and  the  constitution  of  the  Missionary  Union, 
with  its  exclusive  Irfe-memberships,  and  its  complicated 
"  breakwaters,"  came  forth,  like  Minerva  from  the  head  of 
Jupiter.  No  man  could  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  such 
a  thing  was  the  outgrowth  of  Baptist  principles.  How  it 
came  upon  us,  unless  as  a  judicial  visitation  for  our  sins, 
it  is  difficult  to  tell.  Const'ituted  as  if  for  eternal  dura- 
tion and  growth,  a  few  years  have  produced  a  general 
conviction  that  it  is  unscriptural,  unbaptistic,  not  longer 
to  be  borne  than  it  can  safely  be  got  rid  of.  Hs  history 
has  been  in  singular  contrast  to  its  name,  for  disunion 
has  marked  its  progress  at  every  step. 

What  are  the  lessons  from  all  this  ?  Is  it  not  time  to 
inquire  whether  our  plans  for  conducting  foreign  missions 
are  not  radically  erroneous  ?  Whether  a  great  corpora- 
tion, to  take  the  control  of  all  our  missions,  is  desirable  ? 
Whether  it  does  not  embody  a  principle  necessarily  of 
dangerous  and  of  evil  tendency  to  our  churches  and  to  our 
missions?  Whether  foreign  missionaries  should  not  be 
tritd  mm,  able  and  worthy  to  sustain  a  large  share  of  per- 
sonal responsibility,  enjoying  the  same  freedom  of  action 
that  we  all  claim  as  our  birthright  ?  Whether  the  troubles 
of  our  foreign  missions  are  not  the  necessary  consequence 
of  our   errors?     Whether  in  our  labors  for  the  extension 


31 

of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  we  have  not  given  undue 
prominence  to  the  sending  of  evangehsts  among  the  de- 
caying tribes  of  eastern  Asia?  Whether  the  troubles 
which  are  supposed  to  beset  our  other  evangehzing 
organizations  do  not  really  grow  out  of  our  mistaken  and 
vacillating  policy  in  regard  to  foreign  missions?  And 
whether  that  department  of  our  labors  for  extending  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  is  not  chiefly  or  wholly  obnoxious  to 
the  charges  of  expensiveness  and  of  dangerous  central- 
ization of  power  ? 

I  write  with  freedom,  brethren,  because  I  know  that 
you  will  not  suspect  me  of  indifference  to  the  cause  of 
foreign  missions.  If,  instead  of  contending  so  earnestly 
for  the  salvation  of  the  Union  as  to  render  it  doubtful 
whether  it  is  worth  saving,  we  should  coolly  "calculate 
the  value  of  the  Union"  as  a  help  t<^  the  mission  cause, 
would  it  not  be  quite  as  well  ?  As  to  home  missions,  the 
constitution  of  the  Missionary  Union  declares  that  the 
lohok  loorld  is  its  field;  though,  like  the  Bishoprics  of  our 
Episcopal  neighbors,  it  allows  some  other  societies  to 
nestle  under  its  wing.  The  Home  Mission  Society  has 
done  a  good  work,  and  has  a  great  work  yet  to  do,  in 
the  new  settlements  of  the  West,  which  it  could  do  to 
better  advanta2;e  if  removed  nearer  to  the  field  of  its 
operations. 

The  American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  the  next  in 
age  to  tlie  Missionary  Union,  was  formed  for  the  purpose 
of  originating  and  circulating  a  Sunday-school  and  gene- 
ral literature,  such  as  we  need  and  could  expect  from  no 
other  source.  Its  object  is,  not  merely  "to  increase  the 
number  of  valuable  religious  books,"  but  to  increase  and 
put  in  circulation  books  that  teach  important  truth,  \Yhieh 
is  left  out  of  many  valuable  religious  books.  We  have  in  our 
churches  and  congregations  some  five  millions  of  people  to 


32 

instruct  and  strengthen  in  Baptist  principles,  and  all  the 
world  beside  to  convert  to  those  principles.  A  literature 
adequate  to  this  work  must  be  immense,  requiring  all  that 
private  publishers  can  do,  in  addition  to  the  society.  It 
has  been  said,  that  "if  a  book  will  be  read,  it  will  pay  for 
itself ;  if  it  will  not  be  read,  there  is  no  object  in  publish- 
ing it."  This,  if  true,  is  a  sweeping  truth.  Thus  :  if 
preaching  will  be  heard,  it  will  pay  for  itself  ;  if  it  will  not 
be  heard,  there  is  no  object  in  preaching.  If  a  college  is 
wanted,  it  will  pay  for  itself ;  if  it  is  not  wanted,  there  is 
no  object  in  founding  it.  If  people  desire  salvation,  they 
will  come  for  it ;  if  they  do  not  desire  it,  there  is  no  object 
in  sending  it  to  them.  If  this  doctrine  were  true,  it  would 
make  short  work  with  all  our  societies,  for  they  would  be 
expensive  and  complicated,  with  a  vengeance  !  But  it  is 
not  true.  Thousands  of  books  are  read  because  they  are 
put  in  people's  way.  They  make  a  market  for  themselves 
and  for  other  books,  because  they  are  thrust  into  the 
market.  When  truth  becomes  as  popular  in  the  market 
as  error  now  is,  the  above  aphorism  will  be  true,  but  not 
till  then.* 

Of  this  society,  Professor  Knowles  said,  more  than 
twenty  years  ago,  it  "  has  from  its  commencement  had  a 
strong  hold  on  our  regard.  .  .  .  We  hope  that  this  im- 
portant society  will  receive  a  more  vigorous  and  ex- 
tensive patronage.  It  may  be  made  a  powerful  instru- 
ment in  promoting  the  cause  of  truth.  It  has  a  strong 
claim  on  every  American  Baptist.  Let  us  be  true  to  our 
principles. "f  Its  founder  was  his  intimate  friend.  Its 
object  is,  not  to  diffuse  a  merely  controversial  literature, 
but  a  literature  which  Baptists  can  safely  admit  to  their  Sab- 
bath-schools, and  to  their  firesides,  and  put  into  the  hands 
of  inquirers  and  gainsay ers.     Its  business  pays  its  way; 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  C. 

t  See  Christian  Eeview,  for  Sept.,  1836, 


33 

its  capital  is  wholly  employed  in  its  business,  which  pays 
all  the  expenses  of  its  officers  and  agents.  It  should  re- 
ceive, at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  a  working  capital 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  to  be  actively  employed 
in  manufacturing  and  disseminating  books.  There  is. 
perhaps,  no  other  way  in  which  that  amount  of  money 
can  be  more  usefully  or  economically  appropriated  by 
those  who  love  our  principles.  A  building  fund  is  already 
provided  for  by  the  munificence  of  a  few  brethren  in 
Philadelphia.  Let  the  Society  have  a  sufficient  working 
capital,  let  it  be  vigorously  and  skilfully  conducted,  and 
the  result  will  be  a  great  increase  of  the  number  and  the 
business  of  our  private  publishing  houses.* 

The  American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  was  formed  in 
consequence  of  the  refusal  of  the  American  Bible  Society 
to  aid  the  translations  made  by  our  foreign  missionaries^ 
The  necessity  and  propriety  of  the  measure  was  concurred 
in  by  one  of  the  largest  Baptist  conventions  ever  held.  It 
was  not  greatly  to  our  credit,  professing,  as  we  do,  to 
build  our  churches  on  the  Bible,  unmingled  with  traditions, 
that  we  did  not  organize  a  Bible  Society  till  compelled  to 
do  so,  or  to  allow  our  translators  to  be  hampered  with 
traditionary  rules,  and  our  principles  to  be  insulted.  But 
it  is  to  the  honor  of  the  noble  and  true-hearted  Baptists 
who  saw  the  alternative,  that  they  resolved  to  give  a  pure 
and  complete  Bible  to  "all  lands,"  making  the  whole 
world  the  field  of  our  operations. 

The  Society  has  had  a  chequered  history.  By  the  course 
of  some  of  its  officers — which  I  can  never  cease  to  lament, 
while  I  shall  ever  love  them  as  brethren — its  usefuhiess 
was,  for  a  time,  impaired  ;  but,  standing  on  its  original 

'-'- 1  am  saved  the  labor  of  saying  mucli  ia  behalf  of  the  rublication  Society,  be- 
cause it  has  spoken  so  ably  for  itself.  See  the  very  interesting  "History  of  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  from  1824  to  185(i,"  by  Rev.  J.  Newton  Brown, 
D.  D.     Also  a  tract,  "  Principles  and  Purposes  of  the  A.  B.  P.  Soc." 

3 


34 

principle,  it  has  stood  its  ground  between  two  classes  of 
opponents,  one  insisting  on  making  the  English  version 
the  standard  of  all  translations,  the  other  on  displacing 
that  translation  by  a  revised  version. 

The  Society  is  now  an  existing  fact ;  it  has  a  name,  a 
charter,  a  history,  a  noble  house  of  its  own  ;  it  has 
valuable  legacies  in  hand  and  in  prospect ;  it  has  strong 
friends,  liberal  donors  and  praying  hearts,  all  over  the 
land,  who  love  its  objects  arid  its  work.  It  has  en- 
countered furious  gales,  from  opposite  quarters,  but  it  has 
passed  the  rocks  and  the  quicksands,  and  now  looks  for- 
ward to  the  work  of  supplying  the  seven  or  eight  hun- 
dred MILLIONS  who  are  yet  destitute  of  the  word  of  Life.* 

Now,  brethren,  is  it  true  that  there  are  Baptists  who 
wish  to  put  out  the  light  of  their  only  Bible  Society  on 
earth  ?  to  throw  away  the  results  of  twenty  years  of  labor 
and  sacrifice  ?  to  make  the  dissemination  of  God's  word 
a  secondary  thing,  or  a  branch  of  some  other  work  ? 
What  will  the  world  say  to  our  claim  that  we  are  spe- 
cially Bible  Christians  ;  that  "we  are  not  as  many,  who 
corrupt  the  word  of  God  ;"  that  we  are  the  unflinching- 
adherents  of  faithful  versions, — when  they  ask  what  we 
are  doing  to  give  that  precious  volume  which  we  claim  to 
prize  so  highly,  and  to  follow  so  explicitly,  to  the  world, 
and  we  are  obliged  to  answer  that,  as  a  body,  we  are 
doingnothing?  That  we  leave  that  work  to  Pedobaptists! 
while  we,  following  in  the  steps  of  Rome,  give  our  whole 
strength  to  "oral  communication"  under  strict  human 
control ! 

I  know  not  how  you  look  at  some  of  the  straws  of 
opinion  among  us,  brethren,  but  when  I  hear  Baptists 
talking  of  the  danger  or  the  difficulties  of  our  centralizing 
around  the  Bible,  but  see  no  danger  in  centralizing  around 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  D. 


35 

a  board  of  absolute  control  over  their  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  I  tremble  for  the  integrity  and  perpetuity  of  our 
churches.  If  the  American  Baptists  cannot  sustain  a 
Bible  Society,  then  there  cannot  be  such  a  Society  on  the 
footstool  as  they  insist  is  needed  :  and  if  we  cannot  sus- 
tain a  Bible  Society,  we  cannot,  ought  not,  to  sustain  any 
Society  whatever  outside  of  our  churches  !  The  field  for 
Bible  work  is  opening  and  extending  daily.  Since  the 
founding  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  in  1804, 
no  less  than  sixty  milUons  of  copies  of  the  Scriptures  have 
been  circulated  by  that  and  the  other  European  and 
American  Bible  Societies.  Now,  the  millions  of  Cliina 
and  Japan  are  becoming  accessible  to  Bible  distribu- 
tion. The  abolition  of  serfdom  in  the  great  Russian 
empire  is  another  sign  of  the  times.  There  has  never 
been  a  period  when  such  openings  for  Bible  work  were 
so  great  as  now."^ 

Instead  of  contracting  our  Bible  operations,  they  should 
be  greatly  increased.  We  owe  it  to  the  God  of  the 
Bible,  we  owe  it  to  the  millions  perishing  for  the  bread  of 
life,  we  owe  it  to  ourselves,  to  our  principles,  to  engage 
with  fresh  zeal  in  the  work.  Doubtless  it  will  cost  us 
something,  perhaps  "  more  than  three  hundred  pence," 
to  honor  the  Bible  as  it  deserves,  but  I  think  it  requires 
neither  a  prophet  nor  the  son  of  a  prophet  to  foresee  the 
two  evils  that  will  come  upon  us  if  we  could  bo  so  infatu- 
ated as  to  give  up  our  Bible  Society.  Whatever  we  may 
"  simplify,"  let  us  not  so  "  simplify"  ourselves  as  to  bring 
two  costly  evils,  to  save  the  expense  of  doing  good.  I 
verily  believe  it  will  cost  much  less  to  sustain  the  Ameri- 
can and  Foreign  Bible  Society  liberally,  than  to  support 
what  we  will  have  to  support,  if  we  could  be  so  infatu- 
ated as  to  relinquish  it.  Let  him  that  hath  Avisdom  count 
the  number. 

-•  See  Appendix,  Note  E. 


36 

Here,  then,  are  three  divisions  of  labor  to  extend  our 
Redeemer's  kingdom  :  The  Bible  for  the  world  ;  boolts  to 
explain  it,  for  the  world ;  living  preachers  for  the  icorld  ; 
all  for  the  same  purpose,  to  raise  up  the  golden  candle- 
sticks that  shall  bear  the  light  to  all  people.  God  hasten 
on  the  day  that  "we  all  come,  in  the  unity  of  the  faith 
and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  into  a  perfect 
man,  into  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ. 

This  seems  to  me  to  be  on  the  true  principle  of  the 
division  of  labor,  which  is  one  of  the  grand  conditions  of 
success.  We  have  Apostolic  precept  and  example  for 
such  division  in  our  labors  for  extending  the  kingdom  of 
Christ.  But  what  is  the  principle  of  division  ?  Into 
home  and  foreign  missions,  making  Bible  and  book  work 
to  be  parts  of  these,  respectively  ?  I  find  neither  Scrip- 
ture nor  experience  for  this.  The  true  division  of  labor 
is  according  to  its  hind.  To  this  agrees  the  voice  of  the 
Apostle:  "Having,  then,  gifts,  differing  according  to  the 
grace  that  is  given  to  us,  whether  prophecy,  let  us  proph- 
esy according  to  the  proportion  of  faith  ,  or  ministry, 
let  us  wait  on  our  ministering  ;  or  he  that  teacheth  on 
teaching,  or  he  that  exhorteth  on  exhortation,"  &c.  If 
some  of  our  brethren  have  gifts  for  Bible  work,  some  for 
book  and  tract  work,  others  for  the  work  of  preaching,  as 
we  know  they  have,  let  each  make  the  most  of  his  gift. 
But  to  divide  the  work  of  extending  the  Kingdom  of 
Christ  between  foreign  and  home  missions,  a  division  which 
neither  the  Scriptures,  nor  experience,  nor  analogy 
teaches,  which  the  constitutions  of  our  societies  reject, 
seems  to  me  very  much  like  dissecting  with  a  cross-cut 
saw,  regardless  of  bones,  joints,  muscles,  veins,  or  viscera  !'•' 

The  objection  that  has  been  brought  against  our  socie- 
ties that  they  are  complicated  and  interfering  with  each 

*  Sec  Appendix,  Note  F. 


37 

other,  appears  to  rest  on  a  radical  error  respecting  tlie 
proper  division  of  labor.     Suppose  that  a  Bible  reader 
and  distributor,  a  book  colporteur,  and  a  missionary  evan- 
gelist, are  all  operating  on  the  same  territory.     The  busi- 
ness of  one  is  to  put  the  Bible  into  the  hands  of  the  people, 
and  get  them  to  read  it,  or  read  it  to  them.     The  work 
of  the  book  colporteur  is,  to  supply  all  the  families  with  suit- 
able reading,  to  find  what  books  are  read,  what  forms  of 
error  prevail,  and  to  apply  the  corrective.     The  evangelist 
is  to    preach,  to  gather  the  converts  into  churches,  to 
make  full  proof  of  his  ministry.     Now  it  seems  to  me, 
that  here  is  the  same  sort  of  complication  and  interference 
that  there  is  between  the  architect,  the  bricklayer,  and 
the  carpenter,  in  the  erection  of  a  building.     They  are 
"all  doing  the  same  work,"  i.  e.,   building  the  house. 
There  is  as  much  complication  and  interference  between 
the  builders  as  those  classes  of  laborers.     Let  him  that 
ministers   wait   on    his   ministry,    the  colporteur  on  his 
colportage,  the  Bible  distributor  on  his  Bible  work.     Expe- 
rience proves,  that  it  is  a  mistaken  policy  to  employ  evan- 
gelists in  colportage,  or  colporteurs  in  building  churches. 
Ne  sutor  ultra  crepidam,  is  a  homely  adage,  which,  in  a 
free  translation,  may  mean,  "It  is  a  pity  to  spoil  a  good 
deacon  to  make  a  poor  minister."     The  agency  work  of 
these  three  operations  must  be  divided  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple.    It  might  as  well  be  said,  that  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
moon  and  stars  are  complicated  and  interfering  with  each 
other  ;  that  rain,  heat  and  sunshine,  or  that  our  churches, 
colleges  and  newspapers,  interfere  with  each  other,  as  that 
agents  for  these  three  classes  of  labor  interfere  with  each 
other.* 

Our  societies  are  charged  with  being  expensive.  I 
pause,  brethren,  at  this  charge.  Who  has  the  right  to 
bring  such  an  indiscriminate  accusation,  pubhcly,  against 

s  See  Appendix,  Note  G. 


38 

societies  maintained  by  the  free-will  offerings  of  Baptists  ? 
Has  any  one  been  taxed  against  his  will,  beyond  his 
ability  ?  If  so,  let  him  speak,  and  it  shall  be  recompens- 
ed to  him  again.  But  what,  I  ask,  is  the  effect  of  this  in- 
definite charge  ?  Not  to  hinder  the  liberal,  intelligent 
friends  of  the  societies  from  giving.  No.  It  affects  only 
the  penurious,  the  distrustful,  the  grudging,  who  want  an 
excuse  for  not  giving,  and  to  throw  the  whole  burden  on 
on  those  who  give  freely.  Such  charges  are  cruel  :  they 
inflict  a  gratuitous  wrong.  Will  any  one  say  that  our 
societies  cost  more  than  the  good  they  do  is  worth  ? 

Or  does  the  charge  of  expensiveness  mean,  that  our 
societies  are  expensive  compared  with  those  of  "other 
denominations  ?"  If  the  charge  is  founded  on  this  standard 
of  comparison,  what  is  it  but  that  it  is  too  expensive  to 
he  Baptists  ?  It  is  quite  likely  that  we  might  save  money 
by  ceasing  to  be  Baptists  at  all.  The  founders  of  Rhode 
Island  might  have  saved  much  money  and  suffering  by 
quietly  ignoring  their  principles.  The  early  Baptists  of 
Massachusetts  might  have  saved  their  money  and  their 
skins  by  the  same  prudent  course.  It  is  probable,  too, 
that  by  copying  the  systems  which  some  of  "  the  denomi- 
nations" are  writhing  under,  and  striving  to  throw  off,  we 
might  make  a  saving  of  money.  It  does  cost  something 
to  be  a  Baptist,  worthy  of  the  name  ;  but  if  any  of  my 
brethren  think  that  it  costs  too  much,  I  hope  that  they 
will  say  as  little  about  it  as  possible. 

But  we  have  been  told,  that  a  great  saving  of  expense 
might  be  made  by  giving  all  the  foreign  work  to  the  For- 
eign Missionary  Society,  and  all  the  home  work  to  the  Home 
Missionary  Society,  and  that  these  societies  would  have 
the  funds  to  do  it,  if  we  would  only  furnish  them  for  the 
purpose.  Unquestionably.  And  we  have  been  pointed  to 
the  very  economical  manner  in  which  Methodists  and  Pres- 


39 

byterians,  and  "other  denominations,"  raise  their  funds, 
and  educate  their  ministers,  &c.  Well,  this  is  an  age  of 
discoveries,  and,  like  my  brethren,  I  have  an  ambition  that 
way.  We  want  to  do  the  Lord's  work  in  the  cheapest 
way,  of  course.  Here  is  a  city  church :  the  cost  of  its 
house  of  worship,  with  the  ground  it  stands  on,  must  be 
put  down  at  $100,000.  There  is  $7,000  annual  cost. 
The  pastor's  salary  is  $3,000  ;  sexton,  $1,000  ;  singing, 
$1,000  ;  fuel,  repairs  and  incidentals,  say  $1,000  ; 
making  thirteen  thousand  dollars  annual  expense.  The 
cost  of  ten  such  churches  is  one  hundred  and  thirty  thou- 
sand dollars  annually !  And  in  ten  years  they  cost  one 
million  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  ! !  And  how  many 
have  been  added  by  baptism  in  that  time  above  the  exclu- 
sions ?  Suppose  six  hundred  and  fifty.  Then  these  con- 
verts have  cost  "  the  denomination"  two  thousand  dollars 
a  head  ! !  But  by  a  collection  of  statistics  out  West,  it  is 
found  to  cost  less  than  five  dollars  a  convert!  What  is 
plainer  than  that  those  churches  should  be  consolidated,  or 
simplified,  or  reduced  in  number  forthwith? 

Then,  as  to  our  general  evangelizing  societies,  we  need 
only  one,  for  Bibles,  books,  and  missionary  work,  for  the 
whole  world.  We  shall  need  but  one  Treasurer,  one 
Board,  and  one  set  of  rooms.  All  agencies  can  be  dis- 
pensed with,  not  a  cent,  beyond  the  cost  of  postage,  and 
exchange  on  drafts,  need  to  be  paid  for  collecting.  The 
whole  can  go  into  the  field  of  benevolence.  Every  mis- 
sionary shall  be  a  colporteur  and  Bible  distributor,  so  that 
a  dollar  from  each  Baptist  will  give  a  million  of  dollars 
annually  to  the  work.  If  it  be  said  that  such  a  society 
has  not  the  funds  for  all  this  work,  the  answer  is  appar- 
ent :  it  would  have  them,  if  we  would  all  unite  to  give 
them.  Lest  it  should  not  occur  to  you,  brethren,  I  will 
just  add,  that  it  might  be  found  expedient  to  place  mo  at 


40 

the  helm  of  this  invention  for  economizing  benevolence; 
and  then,  if  all  will  do  as  they  are  directed,  the  machinery 
will  move  without  "  friction."  We  would  have  but  one 
Theological  Seminary,  making  a  clean  saving  of  seventy- 
five  per  cent,  there.  It  is  true,  Baptists  would  have  to 
become  a  slightly  different  sort  of  people  from  what  they 
are,  but  that  is  implied  in  all  the  proposed  improvements. 
"If  any  man  think  me  a  fool,"  in  proposing  such 
changes,  I  will  only  say  with  the  Apostle,  "  as  a  fool 
receive  me:  for  ye  suffer  fools  gladly,  seeing  ye  your- 
selves are  wise." 

Complaints  are  also  made  of  the  cost  of  agents.  But 
what  is  the  standard  of  comparison  ?  Is  an  agent  to  be 
put  on  a  footing  with  a  broker,  or  a  commission  merchant? 
Is  the  value  of  his  services  to  be  reckoned  by  the  per 
centage  of  his  collections  and  expenses?  Or,  is  he  an 
honored  servant  of  Christ,  separated  to  the  special  work 
of  enlisting  his  brethren  in  a  specific  branch  of  benevo- 
lence ?  Is  he  to  aim  solely,  or  chiefly,  at  raising  money  ? 
Is  that  the  only  object  in  sending  him  out?  Have  we 
scriptural  authority  for  sending  out  agents  at  all,  to  solicit 
funds  to  be  used  for  objects  outside  of  the  churches  that 
contribute  them  ?  Let  us  see  what  light  the  Scriptures 
throw  on  these  points  : 

1.  Giving  is  a  Christian  Grace. 

"  Therefore,  as  ye  abound  in  every  thing,  in  faith,  and  utterance, 
and  knowledge,  and  in  all  diligence,  and  in  your  love  to  us,  see  that 
ye  abound  in  this  grace  also." — 2  Cor.  8:1.  , 

2.  Motive  to  its  exercise. 

•'  For  ye  know  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  though  ITc 
was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakcs  He  became  poor,  that  ye  through  His 
poverty  might  be  rich." — 9th  verse. 

3.  The  Rule  in  Giving. 

"  Every  man  as  he  purposeth  in  his  heart,  so  let  him  give;  not 
grudgingly,  or  of  necessity  :  for  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver."— 9  :  7. 

4.  The  first  Agent  a  Volunteer. 

"  Thanks  be  to  God,  who  put  the  same  earnest  care  into  the  heart 
of  Titus  for  you:  for  indeed  he  accepted  the  exhortation;  but  being 
more  forward,of  his  own  accord  he  went  unto  you." — 8  :  16,  11. 


41 

5.  Another  Agent  appointed  by  the  Ap>ostle. 

"  And  we  have  sent  with  him  the  brother,  whoso  praise  is  in  the 
Gospel  throughout  all  the  churches;  and  not  that  o)ily,  but  who  was 
also  chosen  of  the  churches  to  travel  with  us  with  this  grace,  which 
is  administered  by  us  to  the  glory  of  the  same  Lord." — 8  :  18,  19. 

6.  The  third  Agent,  and  his  Character. 

"  And  we  have  sent  with  them  our  brother,  whom  we  have  often- 
times proved  diligent  in  many  things,  but  now  much  more  diligent, 
upon  the  great  confidence  which  I  have  in  you." — 8  :  22. 

1.  Heason  for  Bending  these  Agents. 

"Therefore  I  thought  it  necessary  to  exhort  the  brethren,  that 
they  would  go  before  unto  you,  and  make  up  beforehand  your  bounty, 
whereof  ye  had  notice  before,  that  the  same  might  be  ready,  as  a 
matter  of  bounty,  and  not  of  covetousness." — 9  :  5. 

8.  The  AgenPs  Hank  and  Dignity. 

"Whetlier  any  do  inquire  of  Titus,  he  is  my  partner  and  fellow- 
helper  concerning  you:  or  our  brethren  be  inquired  of,  they  are  the 
messengers  of  the  churches,  and  the  glory  of  Christ." — 8  :  23. 

9.  The  Blessed  Results  of  this  Agency. 

"  For  the  administration  of  this  service  not  only  supplieth  the 
want  of  the  saints,  but  is  abundant  also  by  many  thanksgivings  un- 
to God."— 9  :12. 

Let  our  agents  be  put  on  this  elevated  platform  ;  let 
them  be  the  wisest  and  holiest  of  our  ministers ;  let  then 
be  commissioned  to  awaken,  unite,  and  give  system  to  tht 
work  of  giving  ;  let  them  aim,  specially,  to  cultivate  the 
grace  of  giving;  let  their  salaries  never  be  brought  into  a 
mercenary  comparison  with  the  amounts  that  they  collect, 
nay,  let  them,  as  a  rule,  avoid  taking  collections,  but  hold 
up  "the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  and  rejoice  if 
the  fruit  is  "  abundant  by  many  thanksgivings  to  God." 
In  order  to  do  his  work  to  the  best  advantage,  the  agent 
should  have  one  specific  object,  with  which  he  should  be 
so  familiar  that  lie  can  present  it  clearly  and  strongly.''' 

In  order  that  our  threefold  system  of  evangelizing  or- 
ganizations may  be  effective,  they  must  be  the  true  ex- 
pression of  our  principles,  they  must  have  the  confidence 
of  our  brotherhood,  and  receive  our  united,  earnest  sup- 
port.    The  lessons  of  Scripture  and  experience  must  be 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  H. 


42 

carefully  studied,  and  rash  changes  avoided.     We   must 
learn  not  to  despise  the  day  of  small  things ;  we  must  not 
make  disparaging  comparisons,  nor  charges  of  expensive- 
ness,  nor  apply  such  unworthy  phrases  as    ''  machmery''^ 
and   ''cost  of  friction  ^^  to   our  plans  for  extending  our 
Master's   kingdom.     Would    Paul    apply   such    debasing 
epithets  to  the  work  of  brethren  whom  he  called   "the 
messengers  of  the  churches  and  the  glory  of  Christ?" 
Let  us  feel  the  dignity  of  our  labor;  let  us  remember  that 
the  greatest  man  among  us  is  he  who  makes   himself  the 
servant  of  all.     Let  us  not  be  so  forward  to  steady  the 
Ark  of  God  as  to  dry  up  the  resources  of  our  societies  in 
order  to  force  them  to  a  change.     Let  our  Boards,  Secre- 
taries, Agents,  Pastors,  and  Editors,  all  use  their  power 
"for  edification  and  not  for  destruction." 

It  is  more  agreeable  to  the  flesh  to  boast  of  our  prin- 
ciples than  to  be  living  examples  of  their  worth.     They 
are  suited  to  the  wise,  not  to  the  rash  and  unskilful.    Our 
churches  are   not    democracies,   as   they   are   sometimes 
heedlessly  called  ;  they  are  Christocracies,  because  Jesus 
Christ  is  their  Supreme  Ruler  ;  they  are  Bibliocracies,  be- 
cause the  written  word  is  their  supreme  law.     It  is  their 
glory  that  they  are  made  up,   largely,  of  the  common 
people  ;  yet  in  them  the  most  gifted  minds  find    their 
noblest  scope.     The  reputation  of  our  churches  should  be 
cherished  with  tender  care,  for  they  need  the  influence  of 
thoughtful  men,  who  will  judge  of  our  principles  very 
much  by  the  success  of  our  general  evangelizing  organ- 
izations.    If  they  see  that  we  fail  in  our  plans  of  united 
labor,  that  we  are  ever  pulling  down  what  we  have  built, 
and  rooting  up  what  we  have  planted  ;  now  laying  the 
foundation  of  a  missionary  society,  as  if  for  endless  dura- 
tion and  growth,  then  rushing  to  the  opposite  extreme  of 
abolishing   all  but  our  most  primary  organizations  ;  now 
uniting  in  foreign  missions,  as  brethren  of  the  same  faith, 


43 

then  dividing  on  abstractions  and  hypotheses  ;  now  form- 
ing a  society  with  great  zeal,  then,  when  it  is  well  begun, 
and  our  ability  has  doubled,  discovering  that  we  are  not 
able  to  carry  it  on  ;  one  day  decrying  ecclesiastical  domi- 
nation, then  getting  up  a  convention  of  churches  to  exer- 
cise the  very  same  power  that  we  have  condemned  in 
others  ;  one  year  preaching  the  importance  of  a  division  of 
labor  in  our  evangelizing  agencies,  then  going  about  to 
simplify,  consolidate,  and  reduce  their  number, — will  they 
not  conclude,  that  however  true  our  principles  may  be  in 
the  abstract,  yet  in  practice  they  cannot  be  trusted  ?  And 
will  they  not  come  to  this  conclusion  with  reason,  if  they 
see  us  unable  to  unite  in  the  work  of  giving  the  uncor- 
rupted  word  of  God  to  the  nations  ? 

But  I  am  not  willing  to  admit  that  our  principles  lead 
to  confusion  and  division.  I  do  rejoice  that  we  cannot  sus- 
tain a  centralizing  organization  to  concentrate  ecclesiastical 
power  in  a  few  hands  ;  I  rejoice  that  there  is  an  under- 
lying spirit  among  us,  that  will,  sooner  or  later,  topple 
over  all  such  human  devices.  When  our  principles  broke 
forth  from  centuries  of  captivity  in  the  land  of  the  Philis- 
tines, they  were  like  blind  Samson  feeling  for  the  pillars. 
Our  fathers  engaged  in  such  forms  of  labor  as  they  could. 
We  have  the  light  of  all  their  experience,  prosperous 
and  adverse.  From  it  we  can  surely  learn  that  God  has 
called  us  to  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the  Heathen  to 
Christ ;  but  not  by  adopting  the  policy  of  Rome.  His 
providence  has  confirmed  the  truth  that  Baptists  have  one, 
and  but  one,  universal,  unfaihng  bond  of  union, — the  suffi- 
ciency of  the  Bible — the  duty  of  giving  the  Bible  to  all 
people.  This  must  have  the  first  place  ;  it  demands  the 
assent,  and  the  aid  of  all.  This  work  has  no  dangerous 
tendencies ;  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  do  too  much  of  it. 

As  to  Foreign  Missions,  I  am  glad  to  see  the  indications 


u 

that  a  change  of  measures  is  demanded.*  If  the  diseased 
constitution  of  the  Union  can  be  healed  of  its  congenital 
maladies,  without  destroying  the  patient's  life,  it  will  be  a 
cause  of  rejoicing,  I  hope  that  some  of  your  churches, 
brethren,  located  in  the  intelligent  and  wealthy  city  of 
New  York,  will  have  their  missionaries  in  heathen  lands, 
sustained  by  your  own  contributions,  rendering  their  ac- 
counts of  services  to  you,  and  under  no  earthly  guidance 
but  yours.  I  hope  that  there  may  be  found  among  you 
young  men  ready  to  go  and  preach  Christ  to  the  heathen, 
under  your  auspices.  Let  the  work  of  missions  be  stripped 
of  that  coloring  of,  romance  which  distance  and  novelty 
lend  to  it ;  let  it  rest  directly  on  the  hearts  and  hands 
of  God's  people,  on  individuals  and  churches  ;  and,  instead 
of  being  a  source  of  discord,  it  will  not  only  bless  the 
heathen,  but  will  be  "  abundant,  also,  in  many  thanks- 
givings unto  Grod."  But  let  those  who  cannot,  or  do  not, 
choose  to  do  this,  give  liberal  aid  to  the  Missionary  Union. 
I  submit  these  thoughts  for  your  consideration, 
brethren,  with  all  deference  and  humility.  They  broach 
no  new  theories,  propose  no  revolutions,  seek  no  personal 
ends,  echo  the  sentiments  of  no  faction,  advocate  no  in- 
terests nor  measures  except  those  which  belong  to  the 
kingdom  of  our  common  Lord.  I  long  to  see  the  great 
body  of  American  Baptists  arising  to  a  true  comprehen- 
sion of  the  greatness  of  the  work  before  them,  and  of  their 
unparalleled  advantages  for  extending  that  kingdom.  I 
want  to  see  our  great  Baptist  family  one  in  spirit,  in  love, 
in  labor,  as  they  are  one  in  principle.  We  are  able  to 
do — stop! — there  is  One  who  "is  able  to  do  exceeding 
ABUNDANTLY,  abovc  all  that  we  ask  or  think,  according  to 
the  power  that  worketh  in  usT  Is  that  power  now  work- 
ing in  us  to  persuade  a  million  of  Baptists  to  contract  their 

•^  See  Appendix,  Note  I. 


45 

plans,  and  to  begin  that  contraction  by  abandoning  the 
work  of  giving  God's  word  to  the  world  ?  Have  we  for- 
got that  the  measure  of  our  success  is  the  measure  of 
our  faith  ?  When  I  remember  that  Carey  attempted  the 
conversion  of  India,  as  his  reverend  satirist  said,  with 
"a  collection  of  thirteen  pounrl'^,  te  i  shillings  and  six- 
23ence,''  taking  for  his  motto,  "  A  tempt  great  things  for 
God — expect  great  things  from  God  ;" — when  I  read  the 
story  of  his  toils,  the  obstacles  he  encountered,  the  won- 
ders he  achieved,  under  the  inspiring  power  of  that  faith, 
I  look  around  to  see  who  will  follow  up  the  work  so  nobly 
begun.  Is  the  spirit  of  Carey  and  of  Judson  still  among 
us  ?  It  seems  to  me,  brethren,  that  what  we  now  specially 
need,  is  confidence  ; — confidence  in  God,  confidence  in  his 
word,  confidence  in  our  principles,  confidence  in  our 
brethren,  confidence  in  each  other  ;  tempered  with  the 
meekness  of  wisdom.  We  have  provoked  one  another  long 
enough  with  imaginary  complaints;  let  us  now  "con- 
sider one  another  to  provoke  to  love  and  to  good  works." 
I  propose  that  we  have  but  one  strife  for  the  next  ten 
years,  that  strife  to  be,  who  will  do  the  most  and  complain 
the  least ;  who  will  give  most  liberally,  with  the  least  dic- 
tation ;  who  will  be  first  to  yield  and  last  to  complain  ;  who 
will  be  most  considerate  of  his  brethren ;  who  will  humble 
himself  to  be,  like  his  Master,  "  as  one  that  serveth."  I 
do  not  know  that  he  who  does  this  will  be  "  accounted  the 
greatest  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,"  in  its  present  imper- 
fect state,  but  he  will  be  the  greatest  when  we  come  to 
see  as  v/e  are  seen,  and  to  know  as  we  are  known. 
Yours  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus, 

WILLIAM  CROWELL. 
New  York,  May  4,  1859. 


APPENDIX. 


NOTE  A.    See  Page  22. 

That  this  was  the  Apostolic  plan  will  not  be  doubted.  But  the  Constitution 
of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  declares  :  "  Art.  2.  The  single  object 
of  this  Union  shall  be  to  diffuse  the  hmcledge  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  by 
means  of  missions  throughout  the  world."  If  that  be  its  "  single  object,"  then  the 
planting  of  churches  is  no  part  of  its  object ;  unless  it  is  impossible  "  to  diffuse 
the  knowledge  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  "  without  planting  churches,  which 
no  one  will  pretend.  If  the  word  "  single  "  had  been  left  out,  the  forming  of 
churches  would  not  be  the  object  of  the  Union  ;  but  the  insertion  of  that  word 
fixes  its  meaning  beyond  doubt. 

If  it  be  said  that  the  planting  of  churches  is  usually  understood  to  be  a  part  of 
missions,  that  is  admitted  ;  and  so  is  teaching  school,  writing  books,  translating 
the  Scriptures,  compiling  dictionaries,  distributing  books  and  tracts,  building 
houses,  and  buy.iig  compounds,  understood  to  be  a  part  of  missions.  But  the  lan- 
guage of  this  article  restricts  missions  to  the  single  object  of  difFusing  the  knoifl- 
edge  of  the  religion  of  Christ. 

But  the  Report  of  the  Union  for  1853  presents  an  instructive  commentary  on 
the  meaning  of  this  article.  That  Report  says,  "  The  Constitution  of  the  Mission- 
ary Union  declares,  that  '  the  single  object  of  this  Union  shall  be,  to  difl'use  the 
knowledge  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  by  means  of  missions  ;' — regularly  organ- 
ized, and  sustaining  joint  responsibilities,  rather  than  by  means  of  missionaries."' 
If  this  be  themeaningof  the  Article,  then  a  "mission  "  is  an  "  organization."  whose 
"  single  object  "  is  "  to  diffuse  the  knowledge  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ."  Is 
this  the  Baptist,  or  the  New  Testament  idea  of  missions  ? 

I  NOTE  B.     See  Page  28. 

As  early  as  1804-5,  a  collection,  amounting  to  seven  hundred  pound?  sterling, 
was  made  in  this  country,  to  assist  Dr.  Carey  in  the  printing  and  distributing 
of  Bibles  in  India.  Rev'  Dr.  Stoughton,  who  was  personally  acquainted  with  Ful- 
ler and  Carey,  and  who  was  a  life-long  correspondent  of  both,  was  active  in 
making  this  collection,  in  which  they  were  generously  aided  by  Robert  Ralston, 
Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  by  Captain  Wickes,  in  whose  ship  Dr.  Marshman  and 
his  associates  sailed  to  India,  in  1799. 

In  the  year  1812,  the  same  year  that  the  Congregationalist  missionaries,  Juds-on 
and  his  associates,  sailed  on  a  mission  to  the  JCast,  a  society  was  formed  at  Salem, 
Mass.,  called  "  The  Salem  BiBr-E  Translation  and  Foreign  Mission  Society," 
the  second  article  of  whose  Constitution  was  as  follows  : 

"The  obj  ct  of  this  Society  s^haU  be,  to  rai.^e  money  to  aid  the  translation  of  the  ?cripturos  into  tlie 
Kastem  languases,  at  present  poins  on  at  Serainpore,  under  tlie  superintendence  of  Dr.  William 
Carey,  or,  if  (ieoniod  advisable  at  any  time,  to  assist  in  sending  a  Missionary,  or  Mis.sionarits,  from 
this  country  to  India." 

The  same  object  had  been  commended,  by  the  Boston  Association  of  Ministers, 
to  their  congregations,  in  November,  iSll.  The  "  Massachusetts  Baptist 
Missionary  Society,"  for  domestic  missions,  was  formed  in  1802. 

NOTE  C.    See  Page  32. 
It  is  easy  to  find  theoretical  objections  to  any  form  of  benevolent  effort.    ^Most 
of  the  objections  that  have  been  brought  against  our  Publication  Society  seem 
to  me  to  arise  from  misapprehension.    Its  special  object  is  not  to  sui)ply  an  exist- 


47 

ing  demand,  but  to  create  a  demand  for  books  which  ought  to  be  read,  and  will  be 
read,  if  proper  effort  is  made  to  bring  them  before  the  people ;  but  which  will  not 
be,  if  left  to  the  operation  of  the  laws  of  trade.  To  doubt  this  is  to  impugn  the 
wisdom  of  ages — to  condemn  all  such  organizations  as  the  American  Tract  Society. 
Private  publishers /oZ/om',  the  Society  is  to  lead  the  market. 

There  is  a  great  and  increasing  call  for  a  Sunday-school  literature,  to  supply 
libraries  to  our  Sunday-schools,  especially  at  the  South  and  West.  The  books  to 
meet  this  demand  have  hitherto  been  obtained,  chiefly,  from  the  American  Sun- 
day-school Union.  They  are,  for  the  most  part,  excellent ;  but  do  they  teach  cdl 
that  the  New  Testament  teaches?  Are  we  willing  to  have  the  two  or  three 
millions  of  children  belonging  to  our  communities,  grow  up  under  the  impression 
that  our  distinctive  principles  and  practices  are  not  sufficiently  respectable  to  be 
alluded  to  in  the  books  which  they  read  ?  They  find  no  lack  of  books  which 
describe  the  beauties  of  christening,  the  falling  of  the  pearly  drops  on  the  face  of 
angelic  infancy,  the  feelings  of  the  young  mother  when  she  offers  up  her  first-born, 
and  all  the  appeals  that  can  arouse  the  feelings  and  enlist  the  sympathies  in  behalf 
of  a  pernicious  error.  Shall  we  allow  such  books  to  make  their  impressions  on 
the  young  mind,  without  any  thing  to  counteract  them  ? 

Then  our  churches,  all  over  the  West,  are  calling  for  books,  which  they  can 
safely  put  into  the  hands  of  all  their  members,  which  can  be  admitted  to  theii 
families  without  reserve,  and  which  can  be  commended  of  all,  as  safe  guides  to  a 
knowledge  of  our  principles.  Baptists  have  the  ability  to  create  and  put  in  cir- 
culation a  most  effective  literature,  for  old  and  young,  for  friends  and  opponents, 
and  they  owe  it  to  themselves  and  to  the  cause  of  their  Master,  to  provide  a  litera- 
ture which  shall  show  to  their  children  and  to  the  world,  that  they  are  not 
ashamed  of  their  religion  nor  of  their  name. 

The  Society  has  issued  over  three  hundred  millions  of  pages  of  Gospel  truth, 
advocating  in  due  proportion  those  distinguishing  principles  of  our  faith  which 
are  excluded  from  the  publications  of  other  societies.     Here  is  a  summary  of 


THE   society's   BENEVOLENT   WORK   FOR   SEVEN  YEARS,   AND   ITS   COST. 


Weeks  of  labor,         ...... 

Miles  travelled,    .  ...  .  .  . 

Number  of  volumes  sold  by  colporteurs. 

Number  of  volumes  given  to  the  poor  by  colporteurs,     . 

Pages  of  tracts  given  away  by  colporteurs,  . 

Sermons  preached,  ..... 

Prayer-meetings  held,  ..... 

Addresses  made,  .  .  .  .  . 

Religious  visits  made  in  families,      .  .  .  .     ■ 

Religious  visits  made  in  vessels. 

Persons  baptized,      ...... 

Families  found  without  the  Bible, 

Sunday-schools  organized  by  colporteurs, 

Libraries  given  to  poor  Sunday-schools, 

Churches  constituted,  ..... 

Libraries  granted  to  poor  ministers,         .  .  , 

Value  of  grants  made  at  the  rooms,  in  addition  to  the  above  lib 

and  grants  by  coljoorteurs,  .  .        _    • 

The  entire  cost  of  all  the  above  work  and  grants  is 

Of  this  amount  the  churches  have  furnished 

The  business  has  loaned  .  •  •  • 

The  business  has  given  from  itself     .... 


10.207 

.  363,922 

167,580 

.  17.096 

2,139,510 

.  18,995 

10.611 

364 

295.469 

.  17.982 

4,129 

.   7.041 

246 

212 

103 

161 

.^5.090  ^3 
93.342  57 

873,894  56 

3.943  54 

15.504  47 

$93,342  57 


48 

NOTE  D.    See  Page  34. 

As  to  the  extent  of  the  work  yet  to  be  done,  to  supply  the  word  of  God  to 
the  world,  let  these  facts  be  considered  :  at  the  formation  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  in  1804.  it  was  supposed  that  about  four  millions  of  Bibles 
had  been  circulated  in  the  world  since  the  invention  of  the  art  of  printing.  This 
would  be  about  four  Bibles  to  every  1000  people. 

Since  that  time  nearly  sixty  millions  of  copies  have  been  circulated.  Com- 
puting the  present  population  of  the  earth  at  eleven  hundred  and  thirty  millions 
not  more  than  from  one-tenth  to  one-twentieth  of  earth's  millions  have  yet  re- 
ceived God's  greatest  gift  to  man !  AVhat  a  work  is  before  us,  to  supply  them 
with  the  Bible ! 

NOTE  E.     See  Page  35.; 

Although  the  American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  has  been  taunted  by  Pedo- 
baptists  with  having  been  "  born  in  a  storm,"  and  though  some  misguided  Bap- 
tists have  surrounded  its  early  years  with  storms,  yet  it  has  done  a  good  work,  for 
which  millions  will  call  it  blessed  when  time  shall  be  no  more.  It  has  put  into 
circulation  592,278  copies  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  this  country ;  515,358  in 
•  Germany,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Oucken  ;  and  half  a  million  in  India. 

The  Society  has  aided  in  printing  and  circulating  the  Scriptures  in  about  fifty 
languages  and  dialects. 

The  Society  has  appropriated  $106, 750  63  to  the  Bible  work  in  Europe  and 
Africa  ;  $2,546  50  to  the  work  among  the  American  Indians,  and  large  sums  to 
assist  the  Chinese,  Karen,  and  Calcutta  missionaries  in  their  Bible  work. 

The  Society  has  made  appropriations  to  the  amount  of  $49,862  00  to  aid  the 
English  Baptist  missionaries  in  the  work  of  printing  the  Scriptures,  and  since  its 
organization,  has  made  grants  to  the  Missionary  Union,  to  aid  the  translations  of 
their  missionaries,  and  the  amount  of  $172,253  72.  Now,  is  there  any  reason  to 
suppose  that  it  has  diminished  the  receipts  of  the  Union  from  its  own  direct 
collections?  The  foreign  mission  cause  has  been  much  more  liberally  sustained 
since  this  Society  commenced  its  operations  than  before.  That  which  is  raised 
for  the  Bible  work  is  not  deducted  from  the  resources  of  any  other  society.  It 
has  a  hold  on  the  hearts  of  the  people  which  no  other  cause  has,  or  can  have. 
There  are  thousands  of  Baptists  who  will  give  to  circulate  the  Bible,  who  will  not 
give  to  the  cause  of  foreign  missions. 

NOTE  F.    See  Page  36. 

On  this  point  I  find  some  excellent  thoughts  from  the  pen  of  one  of  our  most 
judicious  IVionds  of  missions,  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Monroe,  N.  Y.,  Association, 
lor  1853.  Alter  a  brief  consideration  of  the  question  "  Have  we  too  many  socie- 
ties?" the  writer  proceeds  : 

"  Are  the  objects  wrought  by  either  of  our  great  national  societies  unworthy  ? 
This  will  not  be  affirmed  of  course  by  any  who  contribute  to  their  support.  If  it 
be  assumed  that  these  ends  are  worthy,  can  they  l)e  reached  more  readily  or  cer- 
tainly by  consolidation  than  by  the  existing  modes  of  action  ?  Division  of  labor 
is  a  universal  law  of  success.  The  more  perfect  the  organization,  the  more  closely 
must  it  be  regarded.  The  consolidation  of  all  our  societies  would  not  supersede 
the  necessity  of  its  application.  In  case  all  our  benevolent  enterprises  were  in- 
trusted to  one  great  board  of  managers,  they  could  not  be  successfully  prosecuted 
except  by  committing  the  business  of  the  departments,  which  are  in  their  nature 
distinct,  to  separate  bureaus,  sub-boards,  or  committees.  This  system  would  re- 
quire for  its  efficient  working  separate  accounts,  records,  correspondence,  and 
modes  of  administration.  It  would  als6  require  secretaries,  treasurers,  &c.,  at  the 
head  of  each,  together  with  separate  rooms  and  contingent  expenses.  The  Com- 
mittee does  not  see  that,  even  in  the  matter  of  agencies,  any  advantages  would  be 
gained. 


49 


"  The  claims  of  these  departments  of  action  are  distinct  and  various,— educatiou 
of  the  ministry,  foreign  missions,  publication  of  denominational  books,— and  each 
requires  for  its  efBcitnt  presentation  an  acquaintance  with  its  own  peculiar  field 
of  facts  and  arguments.  No  one  man  can  at  the  same  time  master  them  a  1- 
much  less  could  he  present  them  all  at  once  or  at  different  times  in  an  effective 
wav  His  statements  would  necessarily  be  vague,  inadequate,  and  unexciting. 
Bv" attempting  to  cover  the  whole  ground,  he  would  in  reality  cover  none.  Ihe 
amount  of  benevolent  contribution  depends  so  much  upon  the  legitimate  excitation 
of  the  impulses  of  the  heart,  that  the  chances  would  be  that  an  agent  attempting 
to  present  the  claims  of  three  or  four  different  objects  at  the  same  time,  would  in 
point  of  fact  collect  little  more  funds  for  all  combined  than  he  would  for  any  one 
Ilepartment  which  he  thoroughly  understood,  and  eloquently  and  clearly  presented. 
1  succession  of  such  well-instructed  and  single-minded  agents  will,  each  in  his 
turn,  interest  and  instruct  the  same  congregation,  and  each  in  his  turn  receive  a 
liberal  contribution .  To  perform  the  work  of  an  agent  efficiently,  requires  special 
«tudy  and  preparation.  The  people  need  instruction,  they  need  facts  and  argu- 
ments, such  as  do  not  lie  on  the  surface.  Commonplace  arguments  and  ill-digested 
and  scanty  facts  are  easily  presented  by  a  versatile  and  ready  mind  but  such  in- 
fluences will  never  arouse  the  intellect  or  soften  the  heart  No  great  moral  move- 
ment can  be  carried  on  with  such  a  propelling  power.  We  believe  that  practical  y 
an  attempt  at  consolidation  would  sooner  or  later  result  in  a  substantial  return  to 
the  present  system  of  divided  labor.  _  •     n        i  „„ 

«  The  benevolent  operations  of  the  Southern  Baptists  are  nominally  under  one  or- 
o-anization,but  practically  thev  have  felt  the  necessity  of  dividing  the  labor  among 
four  distinct  Boards,  fixed  in  four  separate  cities,  each  with  its  secretary,  treasurer, 
ao-encies,  and  machinery.  We  believe  that  any  attempt  at  consolidation  among 
our  benevolent  bodies  at  the  North  would  by  necessity  lead  tothe  same  result  as 
at  the  South.  We  believe  that  the  division  of  labor  in  collecting  and  disbursing 
funds  for  the  varying  purposes  of  benevolence  is  necessary,  and  arises  out  ot  tne 
very  nature  of  the  case.  To  do  one  thing  at  a  time  is  a  dictate  of  common  sense 
It  is  equally  requisite  for  efficient  action  that  one  man  should  be  set  to  do  one  kiM 
of  work.  Concentration  of  effort  upon  specific  objects  is  the  secret  of  the  gi,<rantic 
results  of  modern  secular  enterprise.  It  is  equally  applicable  in  the  work  ol  i^oa  . 
'  This  one  thing  I  do,'  was  the  key  to  the  power  of  Paul.  It  contains  a  principle 
of  universal  application.  .    x-  n    ^  ^  ^o-iNt 

'^  Ao-ain,  the  general  control  of  such  an  immense  organization  would  necvs^ariy 
pass  into  the  hands  of  one  small  Board,  liable  to  be  influenced  in  their  decisions  by 
a  sino-le  powerful  will.  On  the  supposition  that  all  the  machinery  would  remain 
nearly  as  at  present,  an  immense  power  of  controlling  and  shaking  public  opinion 
would  be  put  into  the  hands  of  a  very  few  men,  or  practically,  perhaps,  into  tiie 

hands  of  one.  ,,  i       i  „  „^r,/.an 

"  Human  nature  is  the  same  in  one  body  as  in  every  other,  and  such  a  concen- 
tration of  power,  with  the  control  of  the  press,  agencies,  and  other  means  otinmi- 
ence,  would  receive  additional  force  from  the  very  sacredness  of  the  'ntercsis 
intrusted  to  its  care.  We  hesitate  to  jostle  any  organization,  if  by  so  ^iom  v^o 
peril  the  interests  of  an  object  so  important  as  the  continuous  preaching  or  ine 
Gospel,  or  sustaining  its  concomitant  labors.  Thus,  a  hierarchy  in  all  b  t  ine 
name  might  be  consolidated  in  the  bosom  of  the  most  democratic  body  m  toe 
world.  The  germ  of  the  Eoman  hierarchy  is  found  in  the  supreme  control  gradu- 
ally assumed  and  usurped)  of  a  gigantic  missionary  and  charitable  or.|?an  zaUoi 
The  concentration  of  power  in  the  Methodist  body,  controlling  and  ^l'"'^!'"?  ^" 
the  J^reat  religious  movements  of  the  membership,  is  an  example  ="  PO."t  Con 
centration  is  contrary  to  the  genius  of  repub  icanism  and  of  tl'C  Bapt.s.  cliurch 
politv.  If  all  our  organizations  were  united  in  one  body,  t^^vj.'^^^^^  "';^^!,? 
be  in  one  place.  This  would  give  an  immense  preponderance  of  "^fl«  \°  ^,,H^^^ 
over  -nortion  of  the  countrv  should  be  selected  for  this  purpose.  The  controllin 
po^fof  ourdi^rentTocieties  is  in  different  places,  and  intrusted  to  different 

•i 


50 

men.  They  thus  operate  as  checks  and  balances  on  each  other,  and  secure  the 
churches  against  a  centralization  which  might  peril  the  dearest  interests  of 
religion." 

NOTE  G.     See  Page  37. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  the  colporteur  work  of  the  American  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  was  an  interference  with  the  work  of  other  societies.  Even  Dr. 
Waylaud  has  fallen  into  this  error.     He  says  : 

"The  Publication  Society  employs  itself  in  colporteur  labor,  an<l  makes  this  the  strong  ground  of 
its  solicitation.  The  American  anil  Foreign  Bible  Society  has  entered,  to  the  full  extent  of  its  power, 
into  the  same  work,  and  it  also  puts  forward  its  claims  on  precisely  the  same  ground." 

On  this  error,  many  of  the  objections  to  the  operations  of  our  societies  are  built. 
But  the  colporteur  work  of  the  American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  bears 
scarcely  any  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Publication  Society  :  it  is  a  distinct  and 
peculiar  work,  not  entered  upon  by  any  other  society.  The  mistake  has  arisen 
from  the  use  of  the  word  colporteur.  To  avoid  mistakes  in  future,  the  word  Bible- 
reading  Colporteurs  has  been  adopted.  The  work  is  thus  defined  in  the  printed 
rules  of  the  Society,  viz  :  "  To  circulate  the  word  of  God  by  reading  it  from  house 
to  house  among  those  who  do  not  attend  public  evangelical  worship."'  The  system 
has  the  following  features  : 

1.  The  work  is  not  preaching,  nor  book  peddling  ;  it  is  bible  reading  in  private 
houses,  especially  of  Catholics,  who  cannot  read,  or  if  they  could,  would  not  be 
allowed  to  have  the  Bible. 

2.  It  takes  no  pastor  from  his  work,  for  it  employs  plain,  pious,  bumble  men  ; 
Irish  for  the  Irish,  Germans  for  the  Germans,  seamen  for  seamen,  the  sole  object 
being  to  convey  the  truths  of  the  Bible  to  the  cottages  and  cabins  of  the  poor. 

3.  Each  has  a  particular  district  assigned  him.  He  cooperates  with  the  church 
in  that  locality  by  inducing  those  whom  he  visits  to  attend  worship. 

4.  Each  Reader  gives  a  monthly  report  of  the  number  of  visits,  in  how  many 
cases  he  was  allowed  to  I'ead  and  pray,  in  how  many  refu.?ed,  number  of  families 
destitute  of  the  Bible,  &c.,  &c. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  this  labor  interRrL^  with  no  others  ;  it  is  distinct 
from  the  work  of  all  other  societies.  Many  families  are  thus  reached,  Avho  could 
be  reached  in  no  other  way.  They  attend  no  preaching,  no  prayer  meeting,  no 
preacher  could  gain  access  to  them.  That  very  great  good  has  been  effected  by 
it,  cannot  admit  of  a  doubt. 

A  large  amount  of  this  work  has  been  done  in  Germany,  where  it  is  connected 
with  Bible  distribution.  In  Ireland,  under  the  direction  of  a  society  there,  this 
work  has  been  much  blessed. 

It  may  Ijc  said,  that  this  is  not  the  proper  work  of  a  Bible  Society.  And  with 
equal  truth  it  may  be  said,  that  it  is  not  the  special  work  of  a  Missionary  Society. 
It  is  disseminating  the  Bible  to  the  ear  instead  of  the  eye. 

But  if  tiicre  arc  ol)jections  to  it,  as  not  the  specific  work  of  the  Bible  Society,  it 
may  be  well  to  keep  it  entirely  distinct,  and  devote  to  it  only  such  funds  as  are 
given  for  it  specifically.  A  Bible  reading  fund  may  be  created,  and  churches  or 
individuals  may  be  allowed  to  furnish  the  funds  to  sustain  Bible-readers.  The 
work  will  then  stand  on  its  own  merits,  and  every  one  can  give  for  it  just  what 
he  pleases. 

NOTEH.     See  Page  41. 

In  the  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Benevolent  Organizations  of  the  Monroe 
Association,  already  referred  to,  the  following  remarks  occur,  respecting  the  work 
of  agents : — 

"  Here  the  question  arises.  Why  should  not  pastors  and  private  brethren  in  the 
churches  do  the  work  of  agents  in  collecting  and  transmitting  funds  ?     In  answer 


51 

to  this,  we  ask,  Will  they  do  it,  as  a  general  rule  ?  Has  it  been  found  safe  to  trust 
to  such  agencies  in  practice  ?  lu  all  our  more  numerous  and  wealthy  churches, 
the  pastor' is  now  weighed  down  with  the  labors  strictly  appropriate  to  his  office. 
The  demand  upon  his  time  for  careful  preparation  for  the  pulpit,  in  meeting  the 
numerous  calls  to  visit  the  sick,  bury  the  dead,  and  attend  upon  the  management 
.  of  those  societies  and  public  interests  which  necessarily  fall  upon  hmi,  must  in  u 
great  de"-ree  prohibit  a  pastor,  with  only  ordinary  amount  of  physical  streugtli, 
from  attending  faithfully  to  the  various  duties  now  intrusted  to  the  agents  ol 
different  societies.  In  the  present  condition  of  things,  at  least,  he  will  need  to  en- 
joy more  or  less  active  cooperation  with  him  on  the  part  of  such  agents.  So  far 
we  suppose  the  existence  of  a  disposition  in  pastors  to  do  this  work.  The  testi- 
mony of  those  best  qualified  to  speak  in  the  matter  proves,  on  the  contrary,  that 
such  a  disposition  is  found  to  exist  but  very  rarely.  The  agents  themselves  have- 
often  tried  repeatedly  to  induce  pastors  of  churches  to  undertake  the  responsi- 
bility. They  succeed  only  in  very  few  instances.  While  this  is  Ihe  case. 
what  other  resource  have  the  societies  we  speak  of,  save  that  of  employing 
agents  ?  If  it  be  said  that  private  members  ought  to  do  this  work,  it  will  l)e 
seen  that  if  it  is  done  well  by  such  an  agency,  it  will  cost  more  than  by  the  pres- 
ent method.  The  value  of  the  time  spent  in  such  a  work  by  a  Christmn  lay- 
man in  prosperous  business,  would,  in  many  cases,  pay  tenfold  for  the  labors  oi 
the  ordinary  asrent.  If  the  work  be  given  to  persons  whose  time,  from  want  of 
vigor  or  intelligence,  is  less  valuable,  we  should  naturally  expect  a  corresponding 
diminution  of  benevolent  returns.  It  is  a  universal  law  in  matter  and  mind,  that 
great  results  are  reached  only  by  a  corresponding  outlay  of  power.  _A\  hat  we  ac- 
complish in  any  great  enterprise,  we  must  pay  for  by  a  corresponding  amount  ot 
hard  work  ;  and  your  Committee  believe  that  it  will  be  found  actually  cheaper  to 
continue  the  present  system,  than  to  absorb  the  valuable  time  and  power  ot  pas- 
tors and  laymen  to  do  the  work  of  agents,  laboring,  as  they  evidently  would,  at  a 
great  disadvantage. 

"  Besides,  the  work  of  a  ^ood  a^ent  is  not  lost.  Apart  from  his  immediate  object, 
he  is  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel"  He  scatters  religious  truth  whereverhe  goes- 
enlightens  the  minds  of  our  churches  by  the  special  facts  and  illustrations  which 
he  has  prepared  for  the  enforcement  of  the  claims  which  he  desires  to  urge.  A 
vast  amount  of  religious,  moral,  geographical,  and  statistical  instruction  is  thus 
scattered,  whose  results  appear  in  young  men  who  are  thus  often  led  into  the  work 
of  the  missionary  and  the  Gospel  preacher.  The  labors  of  Luther  Eicc  as  an  agent 
of  the  Triennial  Convention,  breathed  new  life  and  power  into  our  churches  Ironi 
Maine  to  Louisiana.  The  agency  labors  of  Fathers  Bennet  and  Peck  m  our  own 
State,  in  behalf  of  missions  and  other  good  objects,  are  among  the  choicest  bless- 
ings of  the  past.  Objections  to  the  agent  are  sometimes  also  prompted  by  secret 
avarice,  or  a  dislike  to  the  objects  presented  for  contribution.  These  objections 
ought  not  to  be  urged  against  the  existing  system  as  such.  Again,  there  are  inel- 
ficient  and  unworthy  agents  ;  perhaps  there  are  also  unworthy  pastors  and  dea- , 
cons  ;  but  these  should  not  be  taken  as  specimens  of  either  class,  or  be  used  as  an 
argument  for  the  abolition  of  the  offices  which  they  bear.  Considering  the  priva- 
tions, labors,  and  exposure  of  our  brethren  who  act  as  agents,  we  believe  there  i^ 
no  class  of  men  more  scantily  remunerated,  or  whose  labors  have  a  more  direct 
bearing  upon  the  advancement  of  Christ's  kingdom.  Your  Committee  belie\e 
that  any  prejudice  that  may  have  arisen  against  them  as  a  class  is  the  result  ot  su- 
perficial views  and  imperfect  examination.  In  case  any  society  shall  incur  too 
heavy  expenses  in  this  particular,  or  send  unworthy  men  into  the  churches,  tue 
remedy  is  simple  and  easilv  applied.  The  Committee  feel  that  indiscriminate  corn^ 
plaints  do  not  meet  the  evil,  while  they  injure  the  feelings  of  good,  able,  and  sell- 
sacrificing  brethren." 


5'J. 


NOTE  I.     See  Page  44. 

The  writer  of  this  letter  earnestly  desires  to  see  all  our  evaugelizing  agencies 
moving  on  harmoniously  in  their  respective  lines  of  labor  and  of  usefulness.  His 
sole  object  is,  to  unite,  to  heal,  to  encourage,  to  sustain,  to  enlarge  ;  not  to  divide, 
discourage,  or  contract.  If  any  exjiressiou  in  it  should  be  thought  to  indicate 
hostility^  or  indifference  to  any  department  of  our  great  work  of  extending  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  no  one  can  regret  it  more  than  himself.  He  is  no  revolutionist, 
no  society  mender,  never  has  been.  He  never  believed  in  the  necessity  of  dividing, 
nor  subdividing,  nor  of  consolidating  our  evangelizing  societies.  He  has  ever 
believed,  and  still  believes,  that  our  societies  for  promoting  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
should  operate  in  harmony  and  unity,  in  spite  of  all  the  differences  of  civil  govern- 
ment ;  that  there  is  no  good  reason  why  brethren  of  the  same  faith  in  all  the  vStates 
of  the  Union,  should  not  cooperate  in  extending  that  same  pure,  holy,  cheering 
Gospel  which  we  hold  in  common.  He  regarded,  and  still  regards,  the  separation 
of  Baptists  into  Northern  and  Southern  States,  in  their  evangelizing  labors,  as 
needless  and  wrong.  The  troubles  of  the  Foreign  Mission  cause  were  never  so 
jrreat  as  since  that  separation,  which,  instead  of  satisfying  the  Free  Mission 
brethren,  and  uniting  them  with  the  Union,  as  many  confidently  predicted,  has 
alienated  them  still  more,  so  that  they  have  taken  a  number  of  the  most  devoted 
of  the  missionaries  of  the  Union  under  their  patronage. 

Not  only  have  our  Southern  brethren  been  driven  off,  and  the  Free  Mission 
brethren  been  still  more  alienated,  but  a  state  of  feeling  has  come  to  light  between 
the  Union  and  their  missionaries,  which  it  is  truly  painful  to  contemplate.  How 
came  this  state  of  things  upon  us?  Who  is  responsible  for  it?  Was  the  em- 
phatic condemnation,  record-  d  in  the  doings  of  the  Union  last  year,  just?  Was  it 
unavoidable  ? 

How  docs  it  happen,  then,  'hat  brethren  who  were  implicated  in  all  that  con- 
demned policy,  are  now  so  co  'erned  lest  "  the  denomination,"  should  spend  all  its 
money  ?  What  vulnerable  pc  its  is  the  smoke  of  a  battle  with  our  other  societies 
needed  to  cover  ?  If  our  socie  :ies  are  to  be  held  up  to  reproach,  as  being  need- 
lessly expensive,  will  it  not  be  the  duty  of  those  Baptists  who  think  that  they  have 
something  to  do  besides  sending  missionaries  to  Eastern  Asia,  as  the  employes  of 
a  consolidated  society,  to  look  into  the  doings  by  which  such  a  state  of  things  has 
grown  up  among  our  foreign  missions,  how  much  money  has  been  lost  on  missions 
now  abandoned,  or  on  unsuitable  missionaries,  and  still  more  useless  deputations? 

It  is  well  to  be  careful  of  the  reputation  of  our  benevolent  societies,  as  well  as 
considerate  of  the  feelings  of  our  brethren.  Few  things  are  more  destructive  of 
the  usefulness  of  a  society  than  the  charge  of  expensiveness,  and  the  cry  for  revo- 
lution. It  is  painful  to  see  such  charges  made,  when  it  is  certain  that  nothing 
but  evil  can  result  from  them. 


DATE  DUE 


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